A. ONE OF THE PIONEERS IN THE CELLULAR PHONE BUSINESS IS A MAN VERY FEW OF US HAVE EVER HEARD OF: CRAIG MCCAW.
B. HIS BIOGRAPHY IS ENTITLED: MONEY FROM THIN AIR AND HE TELLS ABOUT HOW HE STARTED, MCCAW CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS, IN 1976, JUST THREE YEARS OUT OF COLLEGE.
C. EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER, HE SOLD HIS COMPANY TO AT&T FOR $16.5 BILLION, ACCORDING TO FORBES MAGAZINE
D. NOT TOO SHABBY FOR A FELLOW WHO IS DYSLEXIC, GOT C’S AND D’S IN COLLEGE AND LOST HIS FATHER WHEN HE WAS A FRESHMAN.
E. WHAT DO THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW CRAIG MCCAW SAY ABOUT HIM?
F. WELL, ONE OF HIS COMPETITORS, JACK ROBERTS SAYS, ”CRAIG’S STRENGTH IS TAKING BOLD RISKS. HIS THINKING IS VISIONARY, AND HE IS WILLING TO PLAY CLOSE TO THE EDGE.”
G. ANOTHER CELL PHONE INDUSTRY GURU DESCRIBED CRAIG AS: “AN INTELLIGENT RISK-TAKER WHO ONLY TOOK CALCULATED RISKS.”
H. HERSHEL SHOSTECK, OF FORBES MAGAZINE WRITES: ”MR. MCCAW HIRED PEOPLE HE TRUSTED AND GAVE THEM LOTS OF ROOM TO GET RESULTS. HE GAVE A LOT OF AUTONOMY TO HIS SUBORDINATES, AND THEY TOOK THE BALL AND RAN WITH IT.”
J. MCCAW HIMSELF SAID TO THE AUDIENCE AT THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS BANQUET IN 2001, “THE GREATEST BURDEN YOU CAN EVER PUT ON SOMEONE IS TRUST.
K. BUT IF YOU PASS AUTONOMY DEEP DOWN INTO ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE, YOU’LL GET EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS IF YOU ASK FOR A LOT AND REQUIRE ACCOUNTABILITY.”
L. IN ALL OF HIS MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR VENTURES, MCCAW HAS DEMANDED THAT EMPLOYEES BE TOTALLY COMMITTED TO THE GOAL AND BUY INTO HIS BELIEF THAT: “IF I WANT THE WALL TO FALL DOWN AND I’M WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE OF PUSHING ON IT LONG ENOUGH, IT WILL FALL DOWN.”
M. CRAIG MCCAW SAID AT A 2001 CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: “YOU PASTORS MUST CONSIDER THE LONG TERM; BECAUSE SHORT TERM GRATIFICATION IS JUST THAT. BE HUMBLE: IF YOU THINK YOU’RE GREAT, YOU’RE PROBABLY NOT AND YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE RESPECT YOUR
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