In their 100th year of doing business, and more than twenty years after his retirement as CEO, Novo Nordisk still practices the leadership principles formulated by Mads Øvlisen. This elite practice of leadership – which he calls ‘heartcore’ – originated in Danish culture, and still continues to create success globally. This book is written to be a source of inspiration for all leaders who aim at fostering a better world.

Mads Øvlisen delves deep into his thoughts on leadership, which have contributed to making Novo Nordisk one of the world’s leading companies. ‘Heartcore’ is a leadership practice that fosters extraordinary growth and renewal by setting high standards for mutual respect, creativity, talent, and freedom. He outlines how one can meet greater targets by balancing ‘soft’ values with hard results, and by creating an equilibrium between expected economic surplus, social responsibility, and environmental quality.

Mads Øvlisen was the CEO of Novo Nordisk from 1981 to 2000, and after retiring, he continued as chairman of the board until 2006. He has simultaneously held board positions in a handful of corporations, among others, LEGO and the Royal Theatre. Mads has been