Trialoog editor
Enefit Green CEO and TalTech alumni Juhan Aguraiuja stated at the Department Day of the Energy Technology Institute that top leadership is achieved not only through education, but also through life experience. „No job is beneath you – everything must be done with full seriousness and respect,“ he said, emphasizing that a good leader understands both the system and the people.
He noted that a university education is the foundation of professional understanding and background on which everything else is built. „But what has brought me to a top leadership position today is everything that has happened around that education.“
Before Aguraiuja arrived in the energy sector, he held a wide range of jobs — he worked as a driver, in a hotel, and even participated in film productions. These experiences taught him that even the most “ordinary” job imparts skills that are essential for life.
„No job is beneath you – everything must be done with full seriousness and respect,“ he emphasized. This principle has shaped Aguraiuja into a leader who understands both technical details and the value of human contribution. According to him, a good leader knows the system from the inside – both literally and figuratively.
While interning at Eesti Energia’s Balti Power Plant, Aguraiuja quite literally saw the inside of a boiler and witnessed how it was cleaned. „Maybe that experience was in some ways pivotal, because it helped me realize I wasn’t exactly in the right place. I wanted to work more with renewable energy.“
Aguraiuja believes a technical education teaches you to think systematically. „If you can get through heat mass transfer and thermodynamics, then drafting any kind of strategic energy plan doesn’t seem so difficult anymore,“ he added with a smile.
University as a sandbox
Although Aguraiuja values technical education, he sees the true value of university in what happens beyond the classroom – student organizations, collaboration, and communication: „University didn’t just give me knowledge, it gave me an environment where I could, through student organizations, try out what it means to be a leader without any real risk.“ He believes that the assertiveness and team leadership skills learned in student projects and discussion groups help engineers grow into leaders.
These experiences taught him that leadership isn’t just about making decisions, but also about the ability to listen and understand others. Aguraiuja also realized that technical thinking and empathy are not mutually exclusive – on the contrary, they bring depth to leadership. The ability to combine systematic and human perspectives, he says, has helped Estonian energy professionals reach the top – or close to it.
„No job is beneath you – everything must be done with full seriousness and respect.”
Aguraiuja already believed in high school that our energy future is diverse – wind, solar, bioenergy, oil shale. And he still believes it today. Photo: Enefit Green
A leader who understands the system and the people
Aguraiuja’s leadership philosophy has been shaped by the fact that he has worked in companies that are part of larger systems. His work at the Estonian branch of the German group Danpower taught him structure and thoroughness: „If you trust people and give them a chance, they will get the job done. I also learned from the Germans how to care about people.”
His professional path later led him to the Nordic group Adven, where he experienced a work culture with a clear focus and a systematic, strategic approach. According to Aguraiuja, in Estonia, people often tend to think that productivity means doing things on a large scale, but real success lies in choosing the right actions. „The Nordic approach is different – you have to focus on high-impact activities,” he said.
This mindset has helped Aguraiuja understand career development holistically. No leap can be made overnight – preparation must happen gradually and step by step. Just like large projects are implemented starting from the smallest details, a career must also begin with small but conscious decisions.
„If you trust people and give them a chance, they will get the job done.”
Marching to the beat of his own drum
According to Aguraiuja, a good leader must be able to resist the excessive influence of day-to-day politics or trends – and remain true to their knowledge and analysis, even if it means swimming against the current.
He recalled how he wrote a high school research paper on Estonia’s energy sector in 2050, and although public discourse at the time focused on nuclear energy as a potential solution to Estonia’s energy needs, he believed – unlike the other students in the discussion group – that the future of our energy sector lies in a combination of different sources: „Even back then, I believed our future is diverse – wind, solar, bioenergy, oil shale. I still believe that today.”
Aguraiuja concluded his presentation with a thought that sums up his journey well – leaders aren’t born, they are shaped, and in the process, one learns to understand both people and systems. „If you study thermal energy – but also do something else enjoyable on the side – you might very well end up near the top like I did,” he said with a smile.
„If you study thermal energy – but also do something else enjoyable on the side – you might very well end up near the top like I did.”
