Subject: [NEXTEL-1] John Chapple- "The Cool CEO"

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 21:13:45 -0500

John Chapple- "The Cool CEO". Here is a guy who may work for "How Business Gets Done"
(-Dirty) Board of Directors but refuses to share their attitude. Listen to one of his
conference calls and you will know he is no "Timmy The One Trick Wonder Pony". His only
mistake was falling into a bad crowd (Nexthell)
http://www.fastcompany.com/fast50_02/profile/?chapple588
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Stick to Your Principles

John Chapple

Chairman and CEO, Nextel Partners

Kirkland - WA US

Tell us what you do (or what your team or organization does) and the specific challenge you faced.
After nearly 20 years in cable television and wireless, John Chapple left the communications industry to do something entirely new: serve as President of Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment in Vancouver, B.C., overseeing Canada's new NBA team the Vancouver Grizzlies; attract the National Hockey League franchise, the Canucks; and build a new arena, General Motors Place, for both teams. It was a great experience. However, when wireless pioneer Craig McCaw proposed an opportunity to lead a new wireless company, which ultimately became Nextel Partners (NXTP), it was too interesting for Chapple to pass up. His task was to build a separate company devoted to bringing Nextel's integrated wireless service to mid-sized markets across the United States. Not only would this entail building a network from the ground up, but a key component was to create a team and define a culture that would differentiate the company, as much as the differentiated product, to stand out in a fiercely competitive marketplace.

What was your moment of truth?
Our moment of truth occurred early in our history and still defines our company today. Back in 1999, when we were laying the groundwork to go public, Chapple had a brief, but significant experience. Chapple was being introduced to an investment banker to discuss financing when the banker stopped short at his business card. The banker noticed the title "partner" (versus Chairman and CEO) and questioned the wisdom in this approach and suggested it could hurt our ability to procure financing.

We knew from the start that a pivotal way to effectively compete in a crowded marketplace was to establish a culture committed to a core set of principles that would define every decision the company made at the beginning and into the future. Those principles of striving for 100 percent partner (employee) and customer satisfaction meant abandoning titles and hierarchy for a flat organization of "partners." We built a team where everyone contributes to decision-making with the best interests of our customers in mind. Every partner is "part of the team;" there just happens to be 2,400 of them. The key to our approach working is authentic, frequent communication - we use such tools as Partners Points, our bi-weekly e-mail to all partners; NEXTRA, our quarterly newsletter; and NPTV, our monthly streaming video.

What were the results?
In our short history, Nextel Partners has become a leading wireless services provider in mid-sized markets across the U.S. How? By providing the only "differentiated" product in the markets we serve, supported by an unwavering dedication to 100 percent partner and customer satisfaction. The results include the industry best churn rate of 1.6 percent, the industry-leading lifetime revenue per subscriber equaling $4,313, and among the highest revenue per subscriber of $69. On October 28, 2002 Nextel Partners reported another solid operating quarter that included its first-ever positive EBITDA quarter. Nextel Partners now forecasts being EBITDA positive for the full year 2002, a year earlier than previous estimates.

In addition to strong financial performance, Washington CEO magazine named Nextel Partners the "Best Company to Work for" for two consecutive years. Internal surveys reveal 90 percent of our partners understand company goals and 85 percent feel appreciated by their managers. We're continually striving for 100 percent satisfaction.

What's your parting tip?
Stick to your principles, stay focused on your customers, treat everyone with respect, and strive for greatness while remaining humble

What role did technology play in your success? What revolutionary, business transforming thing has your company's technology made possible?
We built our wireless network with Direct Connect(R), our digital walkie-talkie feature that distinguishes us from other wireless carriers and allows us to sell value versus price rather than fall into the commodity trap.

Most recently, we undertook a company-wide billing system conversion in all of our markets and Customer Care Centers. It's a great example of our partners working together. While billing system conversions are always a challenge, our team did a magnificent job with upfront planning and training, leading to a very successful cutover. Chapple was in our Las Vegas Customer Care Center shortly after and plugged in on-line and conducted focus groups with fellow partners, who, while recongizing there's naturally some post-cutover smoothing out to do, are quite pleased with the product and the potential for enhanced capabilities to satisfy our customers. Chapple could not be prouder of the positive attitudes of our 2,400 partners across the country who all took a part in this initiative.

Comments that readers have made about this submission:
John is the best person I've ever worked for!
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An excellent leader!
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Mr. John Chapple is a true leader is all aspects. His is an open door policy and will offer guidance to any one of his employees. He creates an atmosphere of learning, empowerment, and trust. He certainly believes in his company and truly believes in his "Partners"
Joe Gaidis - Roanoke, VA USA

Great leader. Cares about the customers and the Partners.
Joe Metzger -

It's truly a privelege to work for someone who believes that all partners have something valuable to contribute to the organization. Chapple is a consistent model for his team and demonstrates quite frequently how much he values each partner. It makes it worth while to come to work each day.
Holly Chamberlain - LV NV USA

I have worked with Mr. Chapple at McCaw Communications and again here at Partenrs. I truly believes and has proven that is you hire the best people. Set a clear set of goals and objectives and are then brave enough to step back and let those people do what you hired them to do. GREAT things will happen. He walks the walk....
- Tennessee

My experience with John Chapple has been short, but in the time that I have had working with him and our company, he has exceeded my personal expecations as a leader and Partner. His leadership and day to day business ethics are an inspiration that everyone benefits from.
Lisa Daugherty - Pensacola, FL USA

John Chapple is a tremendous leader and has helped make Nextel Partners a great company. One of the main reasons I am so proud to work for Nextel Partners is because of the leadership and commitment from John Chapple. He works extremely hard to make every single employee at the company feel like a Partner. His drive, passion, commitment to excellence, and commitment to our customers is installed in each and every person at Nextel Partners because he truly is a GREAT LEADER! While John Chapple is leading this company I would never even consider leaving Nextel Parnters.
Kevin Puk - West Des Moines, IA, US

John is an extremly humble person and treats everyone in the organization as an equal. When he travels to the different markets he takes time to sit down with all level of partners in the organization to get feedback on how things are going and suggestion for taking our organization from Good to Great.
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John is an extremly humble person and treats everyone in the organization as an equal. When he travels to the different markets he takes time to sit down with all level of partners in the organization to get feedback on how things are going and suggestion for taking our organization from Good to Great.
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What make John Chapple worthy of this award is the way he lives the Guiding Principles that Nextel Partners is founded on. His commitment to 100% Customer and Partner Satisfaction is very real and evidenced by the way he heads the company. In an environment where so much emphasis is put on the bottom line some executives lose sight of the people that do the day to day things that make a company great. John revels in the accomplishments of his Partners and humbly downplays his own. His commitment to his Partners at every level within Nextel Partners has created loyal and dedicated employees. Having a culture where the customer and employees come first is often spoke about in the corporate world but is very rarely achieved. John Chapple has accomplished both while maintaining a very strong bottom line.
Sean Johnson - Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA

I have only worked for Nextel Partners 2 months. My past experience was working with executives and board members on a consistent basis. It is absolutely refreshing to work in a company that believes in the President and the overall leadership team. It is truly rare these days.

It starts from the top down, John's leadership style truly is genuine, and it shows
Phillip J Swiler - Eau Claire,WI USA

John Chapple’s conviction that designing an organization culture based upon respect, empowerment, and a true “Partner” spirit coupled with a differentiated product, was an absolute recipe for success. With this operating framework, the organization has proven itself to be an “overachiever” in nearly all facets. By-and-large the key success factor is the talent for harnessing and magnifying the energy level of each team member, which translates into highly motivated Partners who go the extra mile.
Eric Howard - Nextel Partners - Honolulu, Hawaii

I don't work for NP, but I used to work with John and he is a significant force in any endeavor he associates himself with. He has charisma, and a character that makes everyone around him feel empowered and find the strength to do great things.
Bill Buck - Seattle WA, USA

John Chapple is one of the main reasons NPI is as successful as it is, his vision and mindset of following five basic Guiding Principles will drive NPI from being a Good company to becoming a GREAT company. He makes himself accessable to his fellow Partners and takes the time to celebrate their successes! I'm proud to be a shareholder in the company and expect to see the financial rewards down the road as NPI continues to set the standard for Wireless providers.
Mike Hutchison - Des Moines, IA

Unique approach and well deserved!
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John Chapple is a leader who leads not by force but by example. His people aren't forced to follow him, they WANT to.
John Norris - Rochester, NY USA

Nextel Partners is the best company I've had the privilege to work for. I truly believe the reason I love this company and so does so many other Partners (employees) is because of John Chapple and his vision of what it means to be a part of a team. As a manager, I take great pride when our temporary help tells me "this is the best organization I had the opportunity to work, do you have any openings?" It is motivating to me to have a guiding principle that says "Work Smart while remaining humble" John lives this principle each day which makes each one of us want to live up to his expectations. Even when it means working from sun up to mid-night when needed.
Kim Stagliano - Las Vegas, NV

I worked at Nextel Communications during the inception of the "Partners" concept. The day finally came for us to first meet the "Partners", and the specific people was a well kept secret until that day. When I saw John Chapple I new I'd be leaving Nextel to become a Nextel Partner. I had worked with John at McCaw and always missed the sort of culture that his leadership provided. Partners turned out to be a highly appropriate name for this company. There is truly a spirit of partnership and flatness to our company that I have never experienced before.
One example of this partnership is how we do our bonus programs. Criteria are established at the beginning of the year for the entire company. We either meet or exceed the mark or we don't, but we do it as a team. It doesn't matter what area of the company you work in, you have got to focus on what you must do to make certain we are all successful! Truly a partnership.
Tim FRey - Pensacola, FL, USA

I'm not a partner and I don't have a Nextell phone, but Mr. Chapple sounds like one of the few honest straightforward and motivating leaders in industry today. I'm glad he succeeded and hopefully his will be a template for others to follow as opposed to the "good old boy", "golfing", "go with the idea the rich guy has" status quo that has gotten us into the unethical business morass that exists today.
Howard - Virginia

There's no one else on earth I would rather work for than John Chapple. Always making you feel like you work "with" rather than "for" John, he has a remarkable ability to instill a tremendous level of confidence in yourself, making you achieve a level of performance you never thought possible. His "partners", whether it's NexTel Partners or any other team he leads, will be a winner. And by the way, they'll have fun doing it.
Rick Applegate - Seattle, WA, USA

John Chapple's leadership and influence on Nextel Partners is directly traceable to the Nextel Partners guiding principles which he and the other intial 6 partners helped formulate at the inception of NPI. At Nextel Partners we don't refer to ourselves as "employees", we call ourselves "partners" because it conveys the attitude that we are all contributing to our corporate goals. John sets the tone by walking the talk. Because of him I directly attribute our performance, corporate work ethic, approachability of all levels of management, and our importance of valuing shareholder equity along with partner satisfaction. We don't have a perfect society, however, John makes it clear that striving for anything less is unacceptable. We continuosly improve ourselves. The recent history of the wireless telecom industry has been quite turbulent - testing stock value lows. Throughout the turbulent times I can attest that the distraction within NPI due to market conditions has always been minimal - Partners have consistently focussed on the task at hand and delivered - beacause our mission was clearly defined and John's leadership was always there to guide us. John's a great CEO and a great person. I'm glad he has the healm. I think he'll stear us through the roughest seas when other leaders would falter.
Mike Makowski - Edina, MN, USA

I worked with John Chapple in two different organizations. Although it's been almost eight years since we last worked together, I would not hesitate to be on his team again tomorrow. He's a guy who truly insists that the work culture must be like a family. I'm still proud to carry around my McCaw Cellular "Goals and Values" wallet card (with John's signature on it) that epitomized the way we operated in our company and in our lives in general. A leader who really does inspire his team to run fast the right way.
Roy Seliber - Sammamish, WA

John is a leader that sincerely walks the talk of what it really means to be a "Partner" for Nextel Partners. His leadership and passion for our guiding principles is so much a part of his life that his enthusiasm drives you to want to do the best job that you can for the company. I feel very privileged to be under his leadership and be part of such a great culture and organization that he has created.
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Good times cover a multitude of mediocrities, but difficult times measure the true greatness of a leader. Nextel Partners was created in the heady days of the dot com boom with relatively easy money. But within months of going public, these easy days evaporated and many new companies disappeared. From its creation until today, John has not lost focus or doubted his intial vision for this company and the people who run it. With John's leadership, we run a nimble, lean, highly efficient company with a singular focus on customer and partner satisfaction. Whether the stock was skyrocketing to new highs after our IPO or testing new depths after the multitude of corporate scandals, John stayed the course believing in his partners. And they believe in him. Every quarter since becoming a public company -- through 9/11, Enron, and possible war with Iraq -- the partners of Nextel Partners have, under John's direction, met or exceeded analysts expectations for the company. Great leadership is the ability to inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things. The success of Nextel Partners under John's leadership speaks for itself.
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John Chapple understands and effectively demonstrates the difference between Management and Leadership! He believes in our company and the partners that make it what it is - GREAT!
- Virginia

It's not easy to find a company and an individual to work for in these times that makes you feel like part of the team even when offices are seperated by 1000s of miles. Even with these great distances between our markets we are all striving to be the GREATEST wireless provider in the industry. In the 2+ years I have been here the thing I noticed in this company more than any other is that the leadership, led by John Chapple, is committed to making this a Great company by listening to fellow Partners and to sticking to their core beliefs. With all the bad press companies have received in the last year it is with pride that I work at a company that sticks to its principles. This company is truly great to work for because of John and the way he believes the company needs to be run.
- Green Bay, WI, USA

John Chapple is truley an innovatiove and caring leader, one who is truly dedicated to the growth and success of Nextel as well as well as all the partners. I truly feel the spirit of teamwork not only through what he says but what he does for the partners and the company. Through his leadership, I beleive Nextel will continue to be a head above the rest and we will continue to strive towards excellence.
- Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

I have had the pleasure of working closely with John in our effort to take the company from good to great. I was very impressed with how much he practices what he preaches. The experience I have had with other companies is that this does not always happen. I think that these combinations in a leadership help a company not only become successful but to encourage our Partners to be proud of working for such a company.
Lauri Bernardo - Las Vegas

John Chapple is a great leader with ideas that are so simple in concept, and so effective, it is
hard to believe that every company does not implement them.
- Harrisburg, PA USA

I've been with Partners since mid-1999. John took the time to know who I am and understand my function. I feel that ideas I give are listened to. I believe I have a definite impact on this company. The philosophies of respect, and cooperation start with John Chapple.
- Las Vegas, NV

John Chapple is what every CEO should be today! He is a person of the highest integrity, strongest work ethic and dedicated to the excellence of Nextel Partners, but more importantly to the indiividual growth of the entire Partner organization.
John is a humble and compassionate man with a keen sense to stay ahead of the curve. When he visits an office he walks thru with no fanfare visiting with each employee he meets making them understand by their brief conversation how important he or she is to the success of NPI.
A lot can be written about the Nextel success but behind it all is this very thoughtful low keyed man that will take the time out of his around the clock days to respond to any employee or customer that needs his attention. He has the rare talent to look at a challange and make any situation better.
His personal committment and drive for excellence is contageous throughout the Company.
For those of us who have know John over the past several years it is no surprise to see why NPI is capturing America's attention..its because of Jack Chapple.
In a time of challange John has shown us that hard work, integrity, and compassion coupled with a brilliant business sense have made all our lives better. His style will soon become the accepted way to operate in corporate America.
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John has a unique ability to recognize talent where others don't see it. In 1992 John took a gamble and pushed for me to be promoted to a new position that I was not really prepared for. He knew in his heart that I would work as hard as I could to prove him right and the others wrong. He created a loyalty in me that cannot be duplicated. I'm grateful for what he provided to me and today I can honestly say that I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing if it were not for that chance that he took in me.
John has also taken the goals and values and key operating objectives that he started at McCaw Communications and he has refined them in a way that every company should envy. He takes what some see as risks (calling himself a partner rather than the CEO) but in reality the work world would be a much better place if other company leaders would follow John and create a work environement where people excel, are happy and an intense loyalty is nutured. The concept of employee satisfaction creating customer satisfaction, creating increased revenues is one that all business schools teach, but no business on earth has executed on this concept better that NXTP, under John's guidance.
Kevin McKeand - Austin, TX

John Chapple is truly a great Leader. His passion, dedication and commitment to providing the highest quality service in the industry is shared by every partner who crosses his path. His open door policy ensures every partner has a voice in the decision making for the company. I am very proud to be a part of this organization and honored to work with such a influential individual.
Mark Teliska - Albany, NY

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