Conversation with Sigve Brekke: Shaping Thailand’s Competitive Digital Future

Sigve Brekke, Executive Chair of CP Telecom and Digital Group & Group CEO of True Corporation, is one of the most notable leaders in Thailand's technology scene, known for his unique work philosophy and a determined vision to fully transform True from a telecommunications company into a technology powerhouse.

On stage at the Techsauce Global Summit 2025, this formidable leader shared his unconventional philosophy, which has become the key to guiding his organization through the turbulent waves of change in the digital era.

Start the Day with Discomfort

I highly recommend to all of you to do ice bathing in the morning.

Sigve Brekke begins by sharing a personal morning ritual: he sits in a zero-degree Celsius ice bath for three minutes every day. This isn't just for health benefits; it's a life philosophy.

He believes that training yourself to be uncomfortable is the best way to prepare for business challenges, because it's at that point of adversity that true growth occurs once you push through it.

The whole body tells you that this is a very bad idea. And in my whole life, I have tried to challenge every time my body or my mind tells me that this is a bad idea.

Mr. Brekke asks the audience to imagine standing on a cliff 200 meters above sea level, trying desperately to keep your balance. In that moment, you would summon everything you have just to survive.

He states that a day like that is a fantastic day. It's comparable to the days at work when we must constantly face feelings of unease, always asking ourselves, “Am I good enough? What should I do next?” It's a state where we don't have the answers and must struggle to find a way forward.

Mr. Brekke believes that the days we face these hardships are the days we grow. This is in stark contrast to seeking a “Comfort Zone,” a state where we manage things with familiar routine. That, he argues, is the point where we ultimately lose our capacity for growth.

Lessons from Wearing Many Hats

Before entering the business world, Mr. Brekke had an interesting career path, from a farmer and a politician to the CEO of a major telecommunications company. These experiences have shaped his leadership perspective in various dimensions.

As a farmer, I learned to get my hands dirty… I try to spend as little time as possible in the nice boardrooms and as much as possible down in the market.

He emphasizes that great leaders must get down into the details of the frontline work, not just sit in an ivory tower. This is all to truly understand customers and partners.

If you're a politician, you cannot pay people to like you. You have to earn trust.

Mr. Brekke explains that most business leaders tend to communicate with their employees' minds—through emails or prepared speeches. Politics, however, taught him to communicate with the heart and create emotional engagement.

If you're able to, as a leader, to engage people emotionally, then they wake up in the morning... thinking, ‘I need to run to work because I'm emotionally engaged in what I do.’

Another insight gained from managing organizations in various countries is that everyone in an organization, regardless of nationality, wants the same things: respect, to be seen, and to be treated with dignity as a human being.

A leader's duty, he says, is to see, not just to listen. He explains that listening can be passive, a mere act of sitting still without truly paying attention. But "seeing" is making employees feel that their leader is genuinely focused on them. It is an expression that the leader does not overlook their staff and values them for who they are.

Mr. Brekke adds that he tries to spend time each day walking around to "see" as many people as possible, sending the message that everyone is important and deserves equal attention.

The “Tight-Loose-Tight” Leadership Style

Mr. Brekke manages his organization using a technique called "Tight-Loose-Tight," an approach that creates a balance between control and freedom for employees.

First Tight = Strict Direction

Mr. Brekke says leaders must set a clear and firm direction and goals for the organization. Everyone on the team must know where they are heading.

Loose = Flexible Execution

Once the direction is clear, leaders must give their teams the freedom to figure out *how* to reach those goals on their own, avoiding micromanagement.

Second Tight = Rigorous Follow-up

Finally, it's about designing tools and frameworks to help employees achieve the goals, along with rigorously tracking and measuring results to ensure everyone remains on the right path.

The problem with many organizations is that they are either “Tight-Tight-Tight,” controlling everything to the point that innovation is stifled, or “Loose-Loose-Loose,” resulting in chaos that leads nowhere.

Another philosophy Mr. Brekke employs is creating a corporate culture that must “embrace failure.”

A good day for me is if I have screwed up something, if I have made some mistakes. That's a good day. A bad day for me is if everything has gone smoothly.

He adds that this is because mistakes are the most valuable learning experiences, as long as we learn from them and don't make the same mistake twice.

Perspective on the World and Advice for the New Generation

Mr. Brekke sees the speed of technological change, especially AI, as the most worrying aspect of the current era, as it will transform every business. Therefore, business leaders must always be paranoid and never become complacent with past successes.

For the future of True Corporation, he aims to transform it from a telecommunications company into a technology company that plays a more integral role in people's digital lives beyond just internet connectivity. This will involve heavy investment in AI and other new technologies.

Finally, he offered three pieces of advice for the new generation:

1. Love what you do. If you don't love it, don't force it. A great life and a great business can never happen without a passion for what you do.
2. Don't try to plan your entire future. The more you think about the next step in your career, the more you will miss out on great, unexpected opportunities. Do your best today, and opportunities will follow.
3. Seize opportunities when they arrive. Learn to live with uncertainty, and when an opportunity comes your way, grab it.

Based on the session: “Conversation with Sigve Brekke: Shaping Thailand’s Competitive Digital Future” at the Techsauce Global Summit 2025.