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10 years ago @JohnLegere took over at T-Mobile and changed everything about the wireless industry.
I don't know if I'm supposed to be telling you this, but working for T-Mobile during his era was nuts.
🧵
I don't know if I'm supposed to be telling you this, but working for T-Mobile during his era was nuts.
🧵
Before Legere became our CEO, we didn't know what would happen to our jobs or company.
We had a four-year streak of losing customers every quarter. !!!
We were failing.
It was dumb.
We had a four-year streak of losing customers every quarter. !!!
We were failing.
It was dumb.
Legere came in, and we all started doing research.
We learned he was the king of taking failing companies, making them profitable, and finding buyers.
This meant more uncertainty for us as T-Mobile employees.
We learned he was the king of taking failing companies, making them profitable, and finding buyers.
This meant more uncertainty for us as T-Mobile employees.
He immediately made an effort to connect with the group that interacted with more customers than anyone, his customer service team.
He told the company we were his favorites.
(I led a customer care team at this time, and everyone loved him from this moment forward.)
He told the company we were his favorites.
(I led a customer care team at this time, and everyone loved him from this moment forward.)
He was a finance guy, and he found ways to make the company a lot of money and save the company a lot of money.
But nobody on the frontline of the company cared much about that.
But nobody on the frontline of the company cared much about that.
He won everyone over because he made T-Mobile the Uncarrier.
We were changing the wireless industry forever, and people wanted to be part of it.
Uncarrier changed everything.
We were changing the wireless industry forever, and people wanted to be part of it.
Uncarrier changed everything.
The concept for Uncarrier was simple.
We listened to what customers hated and found ways to deliver for them.
This was our state of mind.
"We are either going to take over this whole industry, or these bastards are going to change." -
@JohnLegere
We listened to what customers hated and found ways to deliver for them.
This was our state of mind.
"We are either going to take over this whole industry, or these bastards are going to change." -
@JohnLegere
People loved him because he cursed on stage, publicly called out the competition, and made it a point to consistently provide forums to listen to all levels of the organization.
When he showed up at call centers, the place turned into a rock concert.
He would shut them down.
The guy could work for a crowd like nobody I've ever met.
People gathered in groups to get selfies with him.
He would shut them down.
The guy could work for a crowd like nobody I've ever met.
People gathered in groups to get selfies with him.
It seriously seemed like he was having fun.
He did crazy shit all the time that earned the company a ton of attention.
He did crazy shit all the time that earned the company a ton of attention.
In 2014, He crashed an AT&T's CES party. As he was being escorted out, he told a blogger at Recode, "I just wanted to see a Macklemore concert."
Twitter loved that kind of stuff.
Twitter loved that kind of stuff.
In 2014, he bussed the entire Salem, Oregon call center to Seattle to spend the night and attend a Macklemore concert.
It was like 600 people.
Absolute chaos! 😂
It was like 600 people.
Absolute chaos! 😂
The entire group helped create excitement for an Uncarrier announcement and then hung out for the Macklemore performance at the after-party.
(He also donated $50k to the 30/30 project that night. That's me holding a check with him below.)
(He also donated $50k to the 30/30 project that night. That's me holding a check with him below.)
Over the seven years, his ability to win the hearts and minds of his people helped T-Mobile grow from the fourth-largest wireless company to #2, with just over 102 million customers.
Incredible.
I can't wait to see what he does next.
Incredible.
I can't wait to see what he does next.
Here is the best leadership advice you will get:
“Listen to your employees, listen to your customers, shut the f*** up, and do what they tell you.” -
@JohnLegere
“Listen to your employees, listen to your customers, shut the f*** up, and do what they tell you.” -
@JohnLegere
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