Alena is an inclusive leadership enthusiast, passionate about people and cultures. Her mission is to help individuals and organisations reach their full potential by developing the ability to better relate to and work together with people who think and behave differently. With the background in psychology, education, intercultural leadership and 15+ years experience in international training programs in Europe and Asia, Alena supports individuals, teams and organisations in their growth and development. Working across different sectors and industries, Alena combines best practices and research to address the needs of her clients and help them generate impactful solutions.
Alena Ipanova, Synergizer
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
Hi, I'm Alena Ipanova, an intercultural leadership and team development consultant, trainer, and coach. In my everyday life, I'm an adventurous traveler, learner, and curious mind deeply interested in people and cultures.
I was born in Russia where I enjoyed my childhood in a small city in the Ural Mountains. I've always wanted to travel the world which at that point seemed to be rather impossible due to the shaky family economy and a fixed mindset in a society defining success in life as a step-by-step sequence "university → stable job/career → own house → family.
The gap between my personality and the culture I lived in was too big for me to stay. I embraced amazing opportunities that were not about money, but great experiences, new learnings, travel, meeting new people, and creating value for others.
I changed my career paths from academia to psychology, from communication coaching to intercultural leadership. After working with international projects all over the world, I started Synergizer a consultancy company in the field of Cultural Intelligence and High Performance Teams based in Sweden. I enjoy helping people develop leadership and communication skills across borders and cultures to improve their lives and positively impact others.
Traveling and working across borders and cultures while putting my skills into practice is an essential part of my life. My hubby and three kids share this passion, so together with travel the world and live in a different country every year. I find this experience enriching (also challenging at times), and so giving in terms of new perspectives, getting out of my comfort zone, and developing trust and relationships with different people. I believe that by exposing my kids to different cultures, languages, and places, as well as bringing my insights to my clients, I contribute to a more inclusive world.
Could you provide a brief overview of Synergizer and its core mission? What inspired the establishment of your business?
Synergizer was born out of a spontaneous and very impactful project called "Does culture matter?" that I initiated with my collaborative partners (now friends and allies). This project was a great pilot that turned into a half-year journey for 60+ participants from Europe and Asia and took us to Romania and Indonesia for cultural immersion, communication, and leadership training. During 6 months participants got coached and trained in these specific areas and the results were outstanding. After this pilot, I got approached by people from different industries to facilitate similar training and programs for their organizations and speak about Intercultural Leadership at companies' DEIB conferences and Culture Days.
This is when Synergizer was born – bringing synergy & energy together to help people create real impact with their DEIB work and support leaders and teams across various industries to better relate to and work together with diverse individuals, colleagues, and clients.
Can you tell us more about Cultural Intelligence? What is it and who can benefit from developing it?
Cultural Intelligence is the ability to relate to and work together with people who think and behave differently.
It's quite a common assumption that Cultural Intelligence is related to national cultures only. In reality, it's much more than that. It is about different ways of communicating, working together, solving problems, managing conflicts, and leading oneself and others.
Working with teams across various industries I believe that it is essential to understand how cultural background, experience, and personality influence our own communication & behavior, as well as that of others. And it is relevant not only across borders and cultures but also within the same culture.
In other words, Cultural Intelligence is about the ability to see the same situation from a different perspective and choose how to respond instead of reacting.
In today's world, this is one of the key competencies for every leader regardless of industry and sector. Both leaders and teams can benefit from developing Cultural Intelligence to enhance understanding between diverse individuals, help them develop trust, lead inclusively, and turn diversity into synergy.
Could you share any examples of Cultural Intelligence in practice?
One of the most repetitive cases that I see in Sweden is related to the gap between egalitarian and hierarchical leadership styles. For someone who got used to working in an organization where decisions are made top-down and challenging someone in a higher position is unacceptable, it might be difficult to adapt to an egalitarian leadership style valued in Sweden. Yet management expects you to be initiative, contribute to decision-making, and challenge perspectives. Often it is verbalized, but people just don't do it, as they are not aware of the gap between "their normal" and "others' normal".
Cultural Intelligence helps to identify such gaps in communication and behavior, so that people can better adapt to new environments, relate to those they work with, and generally enjoy their life at work more.
What are the services that you provide at Synergizer and who are your clients?
I work across sectors and collaborate with businesses, NGOs, state organizations, and Academia. Cross-industry experience gives me powerful insights into what works well and what could be improved so that I'm able to provide better solutions and support for my clients.
Here's how I create value for individuals and organizations:
Intercultural Leadership, DEI Training provides leaders and teams with skills and competencies to transform differences into synergy, create a more inclusive work environment, and address challenges arising from the clash of values, personalities, and leadership styles.
Cultural Intelligence Executive Coaching helps individuals develop Cultural Intelligence to enhance their ability to adapt to and thrive in diverse environments, build high-performance teams, and navigate cultural nuances with confidence.
Global Competence Certification Program for Academia that helps develop a global mindset, cultural awareness, and the ability to work effectively across cultures.
As an engaging speaker, I share valuable insights on Leadership, Cultural Intelligence, and DEI. I deliver dynamic presentations that empower individuals and organizations to embrace inclusive practices, spark meaningful conversations, and inspire action.
There are so many leadership and team development programs available in the market today. What differentiates the programs that you provide at Synergizer?
This is a very good question. According to Harvard Business Review, $356 billion was globally invested annually in leadership development programs. Yet, most of these initiatives aren't working as they should, with only 1 out of 5 people being satisfied with their organization's learning and development opportunities.
Several things make Leadership programs provided by Synergizer stand out on the market and create real value for employees & ROI for businesses.
Powerful combination of personal development and professional growth. The program allows participants to strategically develop skills essential for leading inclusively, enhancing communication with diverse individuals, and better understanding personal preferences and tendencies in trust development, collaboration, leadership, and conflict management across various contexts. It might seem obvious that to improve the quality of our communication and relationships with others, we need to start with ourselves. Yet many programs are still directed toward how to manage others. In Synergizer, programs are directed both ways – towards self and others.
Agility and Relevance. When engaging with organizations and individuals I customize my training programs based on their real needs and data. It's a necessary step before launching any program, as for the best possible outcome, it should address the real issues and developmental goals, rather than being based on guessing or popular topics. Based on data and people's experience, Synergizer's training programs also assure a higher level of employee engagement which results in better outcomes and motivation to put their newly gained skills and insights into practice.
Consistency and Action-Based approach. The program is stretched in time from 3 to 6 months and includes practice and reflection between monthly workshops. Program participants are encouraged to identify their focus areas and take strategic steps toward the desired outcome. Doing such training in a group assures accountability that contributes to actual practice and behavioral change.
A data-driven methodology based on recent research. It allows us to measure such aspects as Psychological Safety, Motivation, Cognitive Diversity, and Inclusivity to name a few. Knowing where the issue is and identifying the gaps in communication and behavior contributes to customizing the program to a client's specific needs. It also makes it easier to track the progress by taking similar measurements in the middle and at the end of the program.
You mention the data-driven approach that you use in your work. What do you help companies and individuals to measure exactly?
With the methodology rooted in science and proven by results, I help individuals and teams identify how their cultural background, experience, and personality type influence their behavior and communication with others, including their leadership, conflict management, and trust development approaches. It helps gain more understanding about own identity and which part of it should "take a driver's seat" in different situations.
And then, mapping such preferences and styles on relevant scales helps my clients better understand each others' preferences and tendencies, which often contributes to better relationships between people and improves their collaboration.
Besides that, I measure three invisible forces that can make or break a team or organization. They are Cognitive Diversity, Motivational Drive, and Psychological Safety. Based on these data it becomes clear where the issue or potential for development is, and it helps to develop relevant strategies for turning diversity into synergy, strengthening leadership, or enhancing high performance in teams.
What is the long-term vision for Synergizer? Are there any upcoming projects, expansions, or developments that customers and stakeholders can look forward to?
This year I plan to focus more on long-term programs for the corporate sector in Europe and Asia to expand Synergizer's geography and impact. Such programs will focus on both individuals and groups. I strive for sustainable impact and results for my clients, as this is also something that brings me fulfillment and joy.
Working with groups in the frame of one organization can help immensely whether in the process of change, organizational culture, and company development. Training and coaching individuals is one of the ways for me to ensure a long-lasting impact in the companies I work with. I see these individuals regardless of the position they hold, as ambassadors for positive change and better relationships between people at work. I train and coach them, so that they can do the same for their teams, and colleagues.
So, my priority in Synergizer this year is on expansion and sustainable leadership and team development programs with high impact for individuals and ROI for businesses.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
In the DEIB and Leadership space, there are many consultants, trainers, and coaches striving to create an impact. Yet, in my experience, I notice that oftentimes they see each other as competitors rather than allies. One of my mentors used to say "There are enough problems for each of us to solve with the work we do". I wish that there was stronger allyship between people running DEIB initiatives both as consultants and in-house DEIB responsible, so that together we could create more value and positively impact employees’ experience at work.
Tell us more about your life philosophy and some of the principles you live by?
This is a beautiful question! Some of my guiding principles are:
Life happens for me, not to me
My thoughts shape my reality – being mindful of the stories I tell myself is essential.
Asking myself a question "What else might be true?" in any situation involving assumption helps me keep an open mind.
Becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. This feeling of nervous excitement is a sign of growth for me.
Curiosity for people and culture is something that gives me great learning and more joy.
These principles serve me a great deal in life and business, as they encourage me to practice what I preach and inspire my family, friends, and clients to see new perspectives and develop better relationships with self and others.
