Name: Janne Lautanala

Title: Chief Ecosystem and Technology Officer

Organisation: Fintraffic

Janne Lautanala is an accomplished digital business leader with more than 25 years of professional experience in leading organizations like Accenture, Avanade, Wärtsilä, and Nokia. Currently, he works as the Chief Ecosystem and Technology Officer at Fintraffic, the company responsible for traffic management and control in all modes of traffic in Finland.

Throughout his career, Janne has successfully established and grown innovation programs, delivered projects, and established operational capabilities in Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. He has also been involved with several major digital transformation projects in high tech, manufacturing, government, retail, and telecommunications industries.

As a recognized innovation leader and Industry expert, Janne had the opportunity to speak about Innovation and Information Management topics in a number of public events, television, and media in Europe and the Asia Pacific region.

Janne owns an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering (Majoring in telecommunications technology) from Aalto University.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

We’ve gone through the interviews and asked the best of the best to come back and answer 7 MORE Questions on Leadership.

I hope Janne's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. As a leader, how do you build trust with employees, customers and other stakeholders?

You build trust by being transparent, consistent, and ethical. You empower employees, listen to stakeholders, deliver on promises, act with empathy, protect data, and lead by example. You align words and actions.

2. What do 'VISION' and 'MISSION' mean to you? And what does it actually look like to use them in real-world business?

Vision is the aspirational goal of where we want to go, inspiring strategy and long-term focus. Mission defines why we exist and what we do daily to achieve it. They guide decisions, engage teams, connect with customers, and ensure actions align with purpose, progress, and the bigger picture.

They are both guiding principles in the business.

3. How can a leader empower the people they're leading?

A leader empowers by trusting their team, delegating authority, and providing resources. You foster growth through mentorship, clear goals, and feedback. You encourage innovation, reward efforts, and create a safe space for ideas and risks. Empowerment builds confidence, ownership, and team success.

4. Who are some of the coaches or mentors in your life who have had a positive influence on your leadership? Can you please tell a meaningful story about one of them?

I have had the luxury of having several excellent coaches in my life. For example Pertti Korhonen (ex-CTO of Nokia) thought be to always think big, have ambition and still always respect every single person.

5. Leadership is often more about what you DON'T do. How do you maintain focus in your role?

I maintain focus by avoiding micromanagement, overcommitting, and distractions from core goals. I prioritize key objectives, delegate effectively, and say no to tasks misaligned with strategy. Regular reflection and clear boundaries ensure time and energy are spent where they have the most impact.

6. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Everyone plans differently. How do you plan for the week, month and years ahead in your role?

I start with long-term goals, breaking them into actionable yearly, monthly, and weekly targets. For the year, I set strategic priorities; for the month, I align key milestones; and for the week, I focus on immediate tasks and adjustments. Regular reviews keep progress aligned with objectives.

7. What advice would you give to a young leader who is struggling to delegate effectively?

Start by trusting your team’s abilities. Clearly define the task, expectations, and desired outcomes. Match responsibilities to skills, provide resources, and stay available for support. Avoid micromanaging; instead, empower them to make decisions. Delegation builds team confidence and amplifies results.