The Competitor

Steve Largent: Record-breaking Seattle Seahawks wide receiver. Named to NFL Hall of Fame on first ballot. Traded pigskin for politics, represented Oklahoma on Capitol Hill from 1995 to 2001. Now calls plays for the wireless industry as the new president of CTIA.

I have often been asked about my sports career, “What were the keys to your success?” I would say one of the assets that set me apart was the competitive spirit I brought to the field every day. That same competitive spirit exists in the wireless industry, but also is important as you lead a trade association — the competition is on the playing field of ideas, policy and regulation. I love to compete on that level.

One of the things that's really important for a trade association leader is understanding how important teamwork is, both internally and externally. Getting CTIA to operate as a unit and as a team is very important. That's the inside game. Externally, it's about conveying the message over and over again to our members how important it is, and how we can move in concert and speak in stereo if we operate as a team.

In a competitive environment, that's both the blessing and the curse. I want there to be a lot of competitors out there that are vying for subscribers and making this industry cutting-edge and low-cost, with great products and consumer services and so on. But there are times when you've got to take your helmet off and come together and speak with one voice. That is a trait that I can bring to the table as head of this association.

One of the remarks I made to the CTIA search committee was that when I was growing up as a small lad in Oklahoma, I never aspired to become the head of a trade association. But the thing I love about this industry is that it's a dynamic industry — it seems to be changing on a regular basis, kind of conforming and transforming to a new world and new technology in addition to innovating services and technology itself.

I like the entrepreneurial spirit that exists in wireless, and I also like that the message of this industry is essentially one I sounded off about as a member of Congress, which is that if you can develop free, open and competitive markets, then you don't need to regulate. Consumers are the most efficient regulators in a free and open and competitive marketplace. That really is the message of this industry, and it fits hand in glove with my view of the world.