Viking Lessons (from Denmark)

I will never forget the day I was “officially” named a Viking by my friend and CEO of the Pharma Medico Group, the company I work for, while we were returning from the signing of our first distribution contract in Brazil.

Our witness was our lawyer, also from Denmark, and the taxi driver, who didn’t seem to grasp the significance of the moment. I have to admit it happened after a bit of insistence on my part and it was all in good fun, but the double challenge—both the work itself and the cultural differences involved—was very real.

To provide some context, the Vikings were the famous warriors who dominated and struck fear across the world around the 10th century. They primarily came from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland—also known as the Scandinavian countries. Although they were notorious for their brutality in battle, they were quite advanced for their time, with their own legal system, a strong openness to trade, and a society of free men organized without taxes. In the TV series Vikings on the History Channel, also available on Netflix, you can observe the organization of their society and perhaps some of the principles they lived by (though the show includes many betrayals and twists to keep the narrative engaging).

Of course, I use the word “Viking” for the mystique behind it, but the five lessons I’ve prepared in this list were learned during more than ten years of working for a Denmark-based company with a global presence.

1st Lesson – Focus: Maintaining focus is the great mantra at Pharma Medico and guides everything we do in business. Instead of spreading our efforts across multiple business opportunities and product lines, we concentrate on what we do best, without rushing the next step. This way, we can work in a structured manner according to plan, aiming for the maximum result from each business, project, or product. This focused mindset simplifies work and decision-making, and also makes it easier to say no when necessary.

2nd Lesson – Communication Objectivity: The extreme objectivity of Danes highlights a cultural difference between our peoples. They are very direct and firm in their positions, with a style of communication different from ours. In Brazil, we tend to be cautious about speaking harshly or offending someone, trying to soften delicate subjects. This difference becomes quite apparent in professional relationships, and I confess that I sometimes hit “send” on emails knowing they would cause a bit of a stir. They may seem very firm, even rude from our perspective, while we may appear overly “nice” or even weak from theirs.

In my view, the lesson here is to find a balance between objectivity and maintaining good relationships. Having a firm stance is important, but trying to remain cordial is equally valuable.

3rd Lesson – Punctuality: In Denmark, it is extremely impolite to arrive more than five minutes late to a meeting. When I asked whether people arrive earlier to ensure punctuality, the response was: “It is extremely impolite to arrive more than five minutes before the scheduled time.” This also applies to deadlines. If they are given a deadline and realize they won’t meet it, they inform others, explaining the reason and proposing a new date. In Brazil, we are more tolerant of delays and missed deadlines, but for them, it is considered a sign of disrespect.

4th Lesson – Design Culture: Design culture is very strong in Denmark and is one of the country’s main symbols. For Danes, design is not just about aesthetics and sleek lines, but also functionality and practicality. This national heritage is present everywhere, not only in the world-famous furniture, toys, clothes, and other objects. Everything we produce corporately also reflects this principle. I remember being surprised the first time I saw our transport documents (like invoices and packing lists) and noticed how extremely clean and easy to read they were. It’s a “small detail” that makes a big difference.

5th Lesson – Family First: Saving the best for last, perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from the Vikings/Scandinavians is that family always comes first, along with balancing work and quality of life. The most striking example I can share is when my boss, the CEO, canceled an important meeting we had to attend to his son, who had been injured at school. The next day, he explained that family always comes first and made it clear that this applies to everyone, on all occasions. This may seem unusual for companies with a “time is money” mentality, but it’s the obvious approach for a company that values the results a person delivers and how much more they can achieve when happy with their life and close to their family. I could write an entire article on the numerous instances where this principle was applied, but this example set the tone!

Experiencing other cultures and seeing what makes them different is certainly one of the highlights of working in international business. Adaptation is often not easy, but it is always rewarding!

If you have your own experiences with Viking culture, Danish culture, or any other culture, feel free to share them in the comments.

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Henrique Malina – Chair of the IBREI Pharmaceutical Industry Committee, CEO Brazil of Pharma Medico Group