KLIENDID, KES MEID INSPIREERIVAD: CHRIS ROBBINS

CIVITTAs julgustame oma kliente positiivsete muutuste nimel julgelt mõtlema ning esitame ka raskeid küsimusi, et luua positiivseid muutusi nii organisatsiooni sees kui ka ühiskonnas laiemalt.

Kliendid, nende lood ja teod on meie jaoks liikumapanev jõud ning tahame nende lugusid ka teiega jagada – kes nad on, millega nad tegelevad ning usume, et leiate ka nende lugudest samuti inspiratsiooni, et ühiskonnas muutusi luua. Oktoobrikuu inspireerivaks kliendiks on Tele2 Eesti tegevjuht Chris Robbins, kes jagab meiega palju häid raamatusoovitusi ja annab mõista, et elus tuleks vähem muretseda.

Järgnev tutvustus ja intervjuu on inglise keeles.

"Civitta team has had a fruitful and exciting cooperation with Chris and the Tele2 Estonia team over the last four years across multiple projects. If I think back what has made the collaboration so inspiring for us, then it is the fact that we share many core values that define our companies - we share the challenger mentality to redefine the traditional sectors where we operate in that are led by legacy companies by being innovative and put the customer first in everything that we do. Please read the short interview below to get a glimpse into the thinking of the leader of the challenger telecom operator in Estonia," says our project manager Martti Rell.

Who are you and what is your job?

I am Chris Robbins and I’m the CEO for Tele2 Estonia.

What books have influenced you the most as a person and/or entrepreneur?

I read between 25-35 books a year which means that there are too many to point out the most influential one. My threshold for a “great” book is if I can take 30% of the content and use it or apply it in my everyday life. So, from a business perspective there hasn’t really been “one book” that has had a huge impact.

But some of my favorites are:
“Emotional Intelligence” (both the original and the revised 2.0) by Daniel Goleman
“Human Sigma” by John H. Fleming, Jim Asplund
Any book on strategy or management by Peter Drucker. There are lots!
“The speed of Trust” by Stephen M.R. Covey,
“Ego Free Leadership” by Shayne Hughes and Brandon Black
“Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely
“Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach

Who is your role model? Why? What have you learned from them?

I don’t have any single person and I just love learning from everyone and everywhere.

What differentiates a person who is good at their job from someone who is exceptional?

In my opinion people are exceptional in their work, when they have passion, are good communicators, understand and use psychology and have exceptional self-awareness.

Describe your biggest professional failure.

I’ve always hoped that any changes I bring to an organization, whether it be culture, values, strategy, customer focus or execution would survive past my time. Kind of leaving a legacy, but it has not yet happened. Also, the launch of WIND Mobile in Canada. I didn’t manage the board or the investors at all, I just ignored them while focusing on launching! :)

What decision of yours has had the greatest impact?

The most impactful decision for me personally has been to live and work internationally. 

How do you contribute to the continuous development and improvement of the field in which you work?

For the industry, I would say trying to get it to focus more on customers and less on technology. Really the areas that I push, promote, coach, and teach the most would be culture, values, and customer experience. 

Point out something that you think is true but almost no one agrees with.

I think democracy doesn’t work anymore. The pre-requisite for democracy is available, objective, sought-out, balanced information. Literally, informed democracy. Seems today people don’t invest the time to be objectively informed, so democracy as it currently is being executed doesn’t work. I don’t know what’s next to replace it, but I think it’s done.

If you were to sit across from your 10-year-old self tomorrow, what advice would you give him?

I would say to have more fun, experience more and worry less. 

Finally, please share with us one book, music, film, or other cultural experience recommendation.

Whole list of books above, but I like the concept of “If it excites you and scares you, you should probably try it”!