In the Nordic countries the general view as that leadership was less hierarchical, more relaxed, 'What are the differences then, say between Denmark and Sweden?' 'No differences' said the guy from the US. 'Right' said the Canadian guy. 'Just the same.' When their colleagues from Finland Denmark Norway and Sweden, each expressed just how great the differences were, our friends from North America thought they were being set-up. 'All the same,' they insisted. What are the differences? I have listed some on a link (johnalexander.se), otherwise a good place to start are some 'culturally significant' words that distinguish the local languages. Lagom Sisu Manana - the title of the book that defines 97 untranslatable words and phrases from around the world - is based on three different approaches in the lNordic countries. Lagom is Swedish more 'moderation', and 'just right'; Sisu is Finnish for never give up, and Manana… well, we asked some Swedish managers about the challenges of inter-Nordic conferences. 'The problem with the Danes,' said one Swedish manager,' is their manana attitude.' (available at www.swedenbookshop.se)