Life at the top is an interview series about top executives who are in print in Aftenposten Economy & amp; Karriéremagasin every Sunday. Read more interviews below.
– You grew up in Rema 1000 and worked in retail since you were eight years. But what is it that has made you the leader you are today?
– It must be the failure internet initiative to Rema 1000 in 1997. It was traumatic.
– It is perhaps not so many who remember that Rema tried to sell foods on the Internet 17 years ago. What happened?
– I really thought that it would be possible to sell food on the internet and deliver the goods home to people. I laid my head on the block and used all my power selling to convince the organization that this was the right thing to do. People stopped in competing businesses to start working for me. I was just so insanely cocksure.
– And then it went wrong?
– Yes. I completed the project and the face properly. In one day we had a board meeting where we decided to liquidate, we had an open meeting, and I traveled through all the offices in Norway and told 130 people that they no longer had a job. When I got home I went to town and was home after the papers had arrived. Home Dagens Næringsliv was “Total failure of Reitan jr.”. It’s tough when you’re 25 years.
– What did that experience with you?
– I was humble. I had to stand in front of all those I had convinced to go along with the project and admit defeat. It was bad, but I needed it. I learned that I should not be so cocksure, and that I should listen to others. And then I learned that it is always important to have a backup plan.
– To withdraw?
– No, but I need do not go from 0-100 in one second every time. It is possible to take things a little step by step.
– You say yourself it was a traumatic experience. How did you get on your feet again?
– I traveled away. Three months in Spain and a half years in the US where I took a number of courses and got a lot of toppings. But I felt it proper physical.
– How?
– I was sick. While I was in Spain I was hospitalized with what they thought was pneumonia. But it turned out later that it was the first outbreak of ankylosing spondylitis.
– After the US-stay you came home and started as marketing Rema 1000. Since there is no distinguishing Rema and you . How is it to live with it?
– When your personality is so linked to the brand and business, so you are always at work. I know that it is a big responsibility, but you should be a leader, you must decide to live with it.
– What do you do when the responsibility becomes too large?
– When it gets too intense, I think to myself: What is the worst that can happen? There is no door if I do not get it.
– What makes you angry?
– I get angry when people do not do what they say they should do. Nobody gets chastised for things they have done, even if it is wrong, only thing they have not done.
– What does your father meant to you as a leader?
– My father was and value my compass. We talked shop at the kitchen table and I have worked with him since I was eight. I use his recipe – consciously or unconsciously.
– What is your greatest strength as a leader?
– I’m just trying to be myself, constantly . Playing roles is like to lie, it requires a huge memory to remember what role you played where. And I have not the capacity. Not fancy either.
– When you are just yourself, it happens that you make mistakes?
– I think it’s important to show humanity, be emotional and show weakness to be a good leader. So yes. My weakness is that I want things done – fast!
– So you want more patience?
– Yes. I hopeless when things are not happening fast enough. If so much is that someone else will order wine to the food, I almost hold on to the table not to take over.
– When it happens well that you override someone?
– Hehehe. It has enough happened yes. You can hear the with my wife how it is.
Every Sunday you can read about leaders challenges and successes. Here are some of the preceding interviews in the series “Life on Top” and a number of leaders tip.
You can also get alerts on new interviews in the series, click on the box ” Life at the top “that underlies the earlier interviews very bottom of the page.
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