Table of Contents
In late 2007, when Dan Hesse became CEO of Sprint, the company was months away from bankruptcy. The economy was starting to falter, heading toward the 2008 Great Recession, and the iPhone was already disrupting every network. But Sprint’s biggest problems were internal. The fallout from a troubled merger with Nextel had led to a mass of customer complaints and service issues.
Dan, the son of a career Army officer, wasn’t new to navigating tough terrain. He attended ten schools from first grade in Italy to graduating high school in Germany, so change was second nature to him. And with 23 years at AT&T—including a stint as President and CEO of AT&T Wireless—he had the experience to lead Sprint through one of its most challenging periods.
He brought a purpose-driven focus to Sprint during a time of technological and economic chaos. One of his boldest moves was introducing the “Simply Everything” plan, offering unlimited calls, texts, and data for a flat rate. It was aimed at simplifying choices and restoring customer trust. He also tied every employee’s compensation to customer service performance and made service the first topic on every meeting agenda. That relentless focus moved Sprint from dead last to first in every major customer satisfaction survey. Fixing customer service allowed him, years later, to build a better network.
Dan’s leadership emphasized accountability and balancing the needs of all stakeholders—not just shareholders. His approachable style, including appearing in Sprint’s ad campaigns, helped humanize the brand and reconnect with customers.
By the end of his tenure, Sprint’s performance spoke for itself. In his last two full calendar years as CEO, the company had the highest total shareholder return in the S&P, even beating Netflix, which came in second.
Dan now is the Chairman of the Board at Akamai Technologies and is on the board of PNC Financial Services, where he chairs the technology committee. In 2022, he was inducted into the Wireless History Hall of Fame.
In this edition of My Best Advice, Dan shares the wisdom he’s gained from leading companies through some of the most challenging times, offering invaluable insights for today’s leaders navigating the complexities of the business landscape.
Editor’s note: This is the twentieth in a series of guest posts where people from all walks of life share their best advice in times like these. A big thanks to the leaders who volunteered to share their life experiences. Reflection on the past is a deeply personal exercise. The willingness to share it with the world, especially in the written form, is a commendable act of vulnerability. For this alone, they have my deepest gratitude.
My Best Advice
“If you want to be the best business leader you can be, make every step along your journey a deep learning experience by choosing jobs with responsibilities that are different from what you’ve already experienced — out of your comfort zone.”
