I recently went one on one with Miguel Quiroga, CEO of Visible, the first all-digital wireless carrier in the U.S.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Miguel: I've worked in technology development for over twenty years.  I’ve always had a passion for technology and creative pursuits, and an early interest in computers led me to graduate from UT Dallas with a degree in Computer Science. I got my first job at GTE in software engineering, which eventually became Verizon. I then moved to NYC as part of the centralization of the Verizon teams in the tri-state area, where I also got my MBA from Columbia University.  During my time in New York, I was able to see firsthand the Silicon Alley ecosystem and got to see the advent of many of the early stage direct to consumer businesses which gained traction throughout the 2000-2010s. Witnessing this evolution in retail and consumer behavior was fascinating -- how a large, highly-dense population adopts new technologies really shaped the way I thought about building products and experiences. 

As part of my time in the industry, I've had the opportunity to lead organizations and strategies in every layer of the industry, including wireless and wireline, and served in a number of key leadership and executive roles, including Head of Customer Business Intelligence and Employee Experience. Prior to joining Visible, I was the Vice President and Head of Digital at Fios, where I led the digital transformation of the business unit while building out the product and experience practices. 

I’ve been incredibly privileged to be a part of so many key moments in the telecommunications industry.  It’s felt like being at the front row seat of one disruptive moment after another.  Whether it was the open market telecommunications transition or the disruptive growth of Fios’s first commercial launch, it’s been amazing to see what’s possible when teams of people decide to band together and solve problems.  Throughout my experience, the one constant was transformation and disruption - and I'm excited to continue that journey with Visible.

Adam: What is your best advice for those working at big organizations on how to best climb the corporate ladder?

Miguel: Stop focusing on climbing. Instead, concentrate on the impact you can make, both in your direct area of focus and beyond.  This is about influencing the outcome of the ecosystem around you.  The more impact you make, the greater trust you build, which in turn allows you to positively help broader areas of the business. I would think about four practices:

1. Adopt an Owner mindset

It doesn’t matter how big or small the business is -- think and act like an owner.  Would you invest your own time, money, or resources on what you are about to dive into? Think about the greater good of the business. 

2. Partner with your boss

You have a choice of where you work, and sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can pick who you work for.  But even when you can’t choose, that relationship is key. It’s a partnership.  It’s a team. Together you are better so set clear joint expectations together and make things happen. 

3. Nurture your team (including your peers!)

Your team is not who “reports” to you, but rather everyone who can help you get the work done.  It takes everyone in this group to make things happen.  And that comes via ongoing relationship building. Again, together you are better. 

4. Be a student of the business.

I had a mentor not too long ago remind me over and over -- be a student of the business.  Know your domain. Know why things are the way they are.  Understand what makes this business tick. I love this perspective. Businesses are like large ecosystems, to observe, learn, navigate and guide. 

Adam: What is your best advice for entrepreneurs and those working at small businesses on how to cultivate relationships with and sell to large companies?

Miguel: They really need you, they just don’t know it yet. There is a bit of a dichotomy in this small/large company dynamic.  Small businesses often want the scale of a larger business, and it’s interesting to see that often large businesses speak about how they want to be more “agile” like a small business.  But at the same time, large firms will be concerned whether or not you can scale with their needs, as their risk mindset may not be the same as your business. Mitigate this by sharing the risk of innovation and testing -- smaller businesses can demonstrate value more quickly, but they need to find larger businesses who understand how to maximize the relationship.   We’ve found this model works well with earlier stage businesses very well if we were willing to learn and grow together.  

Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?

As a leader, you have three primary objectives: 

1. Have a clear strategy: Be clear on your vision and purpose.  This sets the stage for all your other decisions, and becomes a filter for what you will do  (and won’t do).  This results in a much higher focus. 

2. Operational discipline: Simply, get things done.  And do it in a way that’s repeatable and scalable, but always with the goal of moving forward. 

3. Build and nurture great teams: It’s not just about bringing the right people together to help you build, it’s about creating the right environment for them to be as successful as possible.  If you take care of your team, they can take care of you and the business, and pull you forward when you need it most. 

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?

Miguel: Hire people who make you better. They will push you to the limits of what is possible.  This way the team becomes greater than the individual parts. 

Remember, diversity, in all senses of the word, matters. Diverse teams give you perspective, context, and new ways to solve problems and new ways of thinking.  I believe a strong team is one that’s built on diversity of thought, both made up with and able to work with people of all backgrounds and interests is crucial to succeed.

Invest in your team. Take the time to connect, listen to understand and help them grow with you. 

Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing and branding?

Miguel: Hire a great, passionate team of experts in these areas.  At Visible, we’ve built that team and have worked hard to create the space and ecosystem for them to do their best work.  

Part of what has worked for us, too, is consistency of message and amplification of voice. Build a strong narrative to use in all communications -- with employees, with customers, with press -- and find strategic partners who can help you amplify that message. At Visible, we’ve partnered with media, event partners, influencers, and celebrities with like-minded values to bring our brand to the next level. For example, we just partnered with Kevin Bacon on our newest campaign. We took the ‘6 degrees of Kevin Bacon’ idea and put a new spin on it, introducing the ‘12 degrees of Kevin Bacon’ to highlight our referral program that allows members to invite up to 12 friends to get 12 months of service for just $5. 

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Miguel:

• Every day is training day, which means you have good days and bad days. The point is not to win every day  -- but to realize that you are making progress. It’s not if you fall down -- because you will -- it's how you get back up and keep going. 

• Take care of yourself. Self-care is like the oxygen analogy on the plane.  If you take care of yourself, you can better help and show up for others. 

• Be the storyteller: Be the storyteller for yourself, your team, your company, your journey. Your voice is our voice. It matters. People are listening to it. You have influence. Speak out.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?

Miguel: “Outthink or out grind the situation.”  You won’t always know everything or have all the answers.  To the best of your ability, problem-solve the situation at hand. If you don’t have the answers, work hard to find them.  Talk to people, look for help and keep learning as quickly as you can. Also, not having all the answers is actually ideal because that's where new ideas and discovery can happen as well. 

“Always be in learning mode” To stop learning is to stay in place.  Whether it is in business or for yourself, you have to make progress.  I remember an early boss telling me to pay close attention to leaders who I was able to directly interact with.  Watch their approach, the way they asked questions, and how they regulated their emotions.  They made the point, “The really strong leaders are passionate, but don’t let their emotions rule the conversation, so they can focus on asking the right questions.”  The right questions are so often the key to learning.”

“Maximize your full potential.”  Few people will be the best in their fields, but you can always strive to maximize your full potential, and what you’re capable of. I had a coach tell me once that I would never be a professional athlete, but that I could work with my own capabilities, and maximize what I was capable of performing -- mentally and physically.  That stayed with me because as individuals, as teams, functional groups, and companies we can always seek to achieve more and maximize what is possible. 

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Miguel: “There is always a way. Keep looking.”  Advice from my father who is always convinced I haven’t looked hard enough at the problem.  

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Miguel: Whatever your role, remember that you’re working to build a team, practice, and business,  that can outlast you.