HLP Allies Month continues with Calvin Woolley

Leadership, Allyship, and Why It All Comes Down to People

In the HLP Allies series, we spotlight leaders who lead with purpose. Leaders who choose clarity over noise, presence over pressure, and allyship over ego. Leaders who uplift others simply by being who they are.

This week, I am honored to introduce Calvin Woolley, a leader whose presence, consistency, and impact are felt across every room and region he steps into. With close to 30 years of experience across the textile, automotive, and retail sectors, Calvin brings a rare blend of commercial acumen and human connection. His leadership journey has spanned continents, from Africa to Europe to South Asia, and with every move, he has built teams, grown businesses, and mentored people with a deep belief that leadership is not about control, but about trust, growth, and shared purpose.

Calvin Woolley

Calvin describes himself as someone who drives business through people. He lives this every day, whether by setting clear goals and then putting his head down to get the job done, or by creating spaces where others can grow and find their confidence. As his colleagues put it, Calvin is more than a leader. He is a builder of people, a champion of values, and a catalyst for progress. He brings joy, humor, and positivity into the most complex situations. He is known for setting ambitious targets while keeping teams grounded and engaged. His motto “You are only as good as the job you’ve done today, not the job you haven’t done tomorrow” is more than a line. It is a way of operating that keeps him focused, present, and practical.

Those who have worked with him speak of his integrity, emotional intelligence, and talent for building genuine collaboration across teams, cultures, and companies. He is someone who challenges traditional transactional business mindsets and instead invests in long-term, trust-based partnerships. Whether guiding suppliers toward more sustainable sourcing practices or leading a cross-functional team through transformation, Calvin leads with purpose, humility, and an unwavering belief in people.

In our conversation, we explored what it means to lead with values, how allyship shows up in action, and why emotional intelligence is essential to building inclusive, high-performing teams. What follows is not a polished theory of leadership. It is the lived experience of someone who believes in showing up, in staying curious, and in helping others find their voice.

Pınar: Calvin, thank you so much for joining me today. Let’s start our discussion with your leadership journey.

Calvin: Thank you. It has been around 28 years now and it has definitely been a journey. A good one, but not a straight line. Leadership has its highs and lows. What I have learned is to enjoy the highs and push through the lows, trusting that things eventually fall into place. I have always believed in focusing on what I need to get done today, rather than worrying too much about the future. Of course I have had long-term goals in mind, but I did not obsess over them. Staying present opened up opportunities.

After graduating in 1996, I returned to Africa where I was born and raised. I supported companies in the textile industry for a while, using what I had learned in university. But I did not see a long-term future there, so I moved to Sweden to be with my girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife of over 25 years. I found my way into automotive textiles, which led to what became a long and intense period in the car industry. Those early years were tough but formative. I saw them as my dog years, the time to work hard, take risks, and push myself.

In 2010, after the economic crash and a difficult period in the car industry, I got a call about a textile role in a village. It was IKEA. That opportunity felt like a breath of fresh air. I returned to textiles but in a completely new way. I have now spent 15 years at IKEA, working in Sweden, India, and Turkey. Istanbul was a highlight. Even with two years during the pandemic, I loved my time there.

Pınar: What I really admire is how IKEA’s values seem deeply connected to Swedish culture, especially around diversity and inclusion. That’s something I noticed clearly during my time in Istanbul and Southeast Asia.

Calvin: Sweden is doing relatively well, but we still have a long way to go. There is more support here, like parental leave and inclusive policies, but the wage gap still exists and women remain underrepresented in leadership. At IKEA, we are proud that nearly half of our leaders are women. That is a big step, but it is not the finish line. Inclusion also goes beyond gender. It is about ethnicity, background, ability, and every part of a person’s identity. If we want to be a global company, we have to reflect the world we serve.

Pınar: Since you have worked across Africa, Asia, and Europe, how do you see culture shaping leadership and work?

Calvin: Culture shapes everything. Western cultures, including the Nordics, often assume they know best and that can limit growth. What has always helped me is being willing to learn. Even just picking up a few words in the local language shows respect. What matters is understanding the context and the people you are working with. IKEA’s strength lies in our clear values. People hear about those values and want to be part of something they believe in. That is why we recruit for values first. We can always teach the skills later.

That clarity also allows us to draw lines. In some cultures, it is common to give gifts or take clients to expensive dinners. At IKEA, we simply do not engage in that. Not because we are against kindness or generosity, but because we believe great partnerships do not need gifts to flourish. Some suppliers might find it unusual at first, but eventually they appreciate it. We tell them, let’s do good work together and keep it simple.

Pınar: What I hear from you is that shared values allow teams to thrive. It is not just about what people know, but what they stand for.

Calvin: Exactly. We have strong training programs and the right people in place to teach technical skills. Someone might start in textiles and later work in wood products. That is possible because the foundation is solid. If the values align, the rest can be learned.

Pınar: Would you say emotional intelligence is key to building inclusive teams?

Calvin: Absolutely. But we also need to challenge the idea of common sense. What is obvious to one person may not be obvious to another. Common sense comes from experience, exposure, and education. Emotional intelligence means recognizing those differences and responding with understanding.

People often forget that companies are built by people. When you think of Apple, you might think of an iPhone. When you think of Coca-Cola, you picture a bottle. But none of those things exist without people behind them. IKEA is not a brand without the people who create and live its values every day. As we move into a future shaped by AI and automation, we have to keep the human part at the center. If we lose that, we lose what makes any of this meaningful.

Pınar: Let’s talk about allyship. Has there been a time when someone’s support helped you grow, or when you played that role for someone else?

Calvin: I think back to my first leadership role. I was 31 and asked to lead a team of peers, some of whom were older and more experienced. I was not sure I was ready. I made mistakes. I assumed everyone thought like me, had the same ambition and drive. But they didn’t. That experience taught me to be curious. I learned to ask questions, to understand what matters to people, and how they see the world. That changed everything.

Another big shift for me was learning to focus on strengths. We often ask people to fix their flaws, but what if we helped them build on what they are already good at. It is like Tiger Woods spending time trying to improve his tennis. It makes no sense. The same goes for teams. Find what someone is great at and support them to thrive in that.

Some of my proudest moments have come from seeing people I once managed grow into leadership roles. I would be proud to work for them today. That, to me, is leadership. Helping someone grow so they eventually surpass you.

Pınar: That is a powerful definition of allyship. Investing in people, staying curious, and lifting each other up.

Calvin: I think we also need to talk about situational leadership. Fairness is not always about treating everyone the same. Sometimes true fairness means meeting people where they are. Leaders also need to know when to step forward and take the hits, and when to step back and let others lead. Both are important. You can only make that decision if you truly understand the people on your team.

Pınar: Calvin, thank you. I am so grateful for your clarity, your warmth, and your consistency. You truly lead with people first. I will share this transcript with you for review, and I hope we can share your story with our readers soon. And of course, I hope we meet in person in Sweden or Spain.

Calvin: Absolutely. Let me know. You are always welcome.

Thank you, Calvin, for sharing your story and for being exactly the kind of ally our workplaces need more of.

This conversation with Calvin reminded me why leadership is not a title or a skill set. It is a way of being. A way of seeing people, listening with intention, and creating environments where others can thrive. Calvin shared openly about the lessons he learned the hard way, the values that guide him, and the moments that shaped his leadership approach. From building trust across cultures to focusing on people’s strengths rather than their gaps, his story is full of powerful reminders for anyone committed to leading with impact.

What stood out most is Calvin’s unwavering belief that business is not just about results. It is about people. People are the ones who shape the culture, carry the values, create the solutions, and build the future. And when leaders like Calvin create space for others to grow, to speak, and to lead, the ripple effect is real.

If you would like to learn more about Calvin or connect with him directly, you can visit his LinkedIn page here.