What Entrepreneurs Should Know About The Finnish Art of Courage

Do you have trouble handling adversity in business? If so, consider applying sisu[1] . This 500-year-old concept was relatively unknown outside Finland until Joanna Nylund published Sisu: The Finnish Art of Courage in 2018.

According to Nylund, sisu describes “a kind of courage, as resilience, as a kind of tenacity, a sort of ‘go get ’em attitude’ that you plug into when you come up against a really difficult crisis or a difficult place in your life.” Within Finland, the concept is often taken for granted, and authors haven’t addressed the concept since the 1980s. That might be changing, as Nylund’s book was translated into ten languages.

“In business, sisu is really applicable because it can give you that extra push to be clear and concise about your message and also to not give up at the first sign of trouble or resistance basically from the other partner,” she said.[2]

Cultivate Economy of Language

In some cultures, like Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom, it’s polite and almost expected to engage in small talk at the start of a business call or meeting. This communication style is far from the norm in Finland. Nylund says Finns are known for their lack of small-talk culture, which some perceive as bluntness.