Article originally posted on Linkedin Pulse. 

If someone ever managed to shake up an industry in a relatively short period and take it into a direction it has never been before, then it definitely is T-Mobile CEO John Legere. Coming out from total anonymity, but helped out by his completely unconventional behavior and out-of-the-box thinking and acting, he managed to become a central figure in the wireless industry before the others even figured out what he was doing.

By introducing the original and unique Un-Carrier Concept and focusing on and attacking competitors’ weaknesses he managed to differentiate T-Mobile from everyone else. The results are more than obvious – T-Mobile is growing by 1.000.000 customers per quarter, while their closest competitor Sprint is shrinking by 250.000 customers for the same period of time. According to this trend it is only a matter of time when T-Mobile will surpass Sprint and become the 3 biggest mobile operator in USA. If you ask Legere, he will say that they will do it by the end of 2014. Let’s wait and see what will happen.

But what is so different and special about him?

John Legere has an unusual and unconventional yet brilliant leadership style that helps him draw attention, inspire, engage and motivate. This is how he does it…

Starting a Movement

While the other carriers keep on walking the conventional road, the Un-Carrier Conceptstarted a movement, or as Legere says an “Un-Carrier revolution”. With that he managed to energize and motivate his team and show them a clear vision and the road they have to take to achieve it.

Before his time T-Mobile had hard time keeping the employees; the morale, motivation and loyalty were also low. But today is a totally different picture. T-Mobile has become an employer of engaged and self-driven employees united around the concept, mission and vision. Today it is the brand to work for and an employer of choice.

My 2 cents: Teaming up people around a clear and challenging vision and engaging them into a higher cause mission is like giving them a shot of adrenaline. It motivates and energizes, making them self driven, enthusiastic and more willing to go the extra mile and put extra effort to accomplish the mission.

Leading from the Front

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. - John C. Maxwell

In order to animate the movement Legere became the front runner and standard-bearer of the “revolution”. Leading from the front line he leads by example not being afraid to be a showman and a totally unconventional CEO.

I mean have you seen another CEO to crash competitor’s event? Yes, he did that, too! The result was obvious, he got thrown out, but mission was accomplished – he turned the attention to himself and his company.

And he seems to be very good at that.

Just take a look at his Twitter account or his official blog at T-Mobile’s web page you will see all but boring and formal CEO content. Being very active with viral content all over the place has brought him more than 530.000 followers and the number is rapidly rising.

My 2 cents: By supporting the “saying” with “doing” the leader shows what needs to be done and the way it should be done. For the employees it is easier to follow when they see what the leader is doing. When the leader takes brave and unconventional actions the employees are encouraged to do the same and that is how the change starts.

Unique and Authentic

With his actions Legere shows he is unique and authentic and that he stands out from the others by destroying stereotypes. Even more, be sure that no other CEO will follow or copy what he is doing. So, he has a wide uninhabited area in front of him.

What is even more interesting is that he wasn’t always like that. But to start a change, the leader has to change first. And the concept they had in mind demanded a radical change of attitude. So it was interesting to see him growing hair, throwing his shoes, shirts and suits away and putting on a pair of sneakers and a magenta t-shirt with the famous T brand logo. The picture was completed by coming out on stage with a can of Red Bull in the hand.

This is a huge change for a person with serious professional background. Just take a look at his profile and you will see what I am talking about.

My 2 cents: Uniqueness and authenticity are two personal characteristics that help one stand out from the mass. People that don’t have these two traits will find it hard to be perceived as leaders because the others will not be able to make the difference and connect with them.

Exposing and Taking Risks

A team will always appreciate a great individual if he's willing to sacrifice for the group. - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

From personal perspective this is a very risky game. Legere could’ve done all the above and result in failure. That would mean the end of his professional career for the line between being a superhero and a fool is very thin. But he showed that he is courageousenough to take risks and expose himself.

My 2 cents: Showing courage and not being afraid to put himself in the fire the leader shows he believes in the mission, in the capabilities of the team to accomplish that mission and eventually, that he is ready to make a personal sacrifice for the mutual success. When the leader does that, the team will be willing to do it, too.

Changing the Game

To be a leader means to be a change driver and a culture changer. This is how:

At the time Legere was appointed at the position of T-Mobile CEO the company was far from being in a fantastic condition. To keep the same way of operating would’ve meant to keep on getting the same results. But radical times demanded radical changes. And he was prepared to do it. The Un-Carrier concept, his new approach and attitude were unseen in the wireless industry. And, fortunately, they were right on target. Besides achieving exceptional results for the company, he also gave a fresh breath of life to the whole industry or as some say “has put a face on a faceless industry”.

This will bring us to a conclusion that although his actions look like a big entertainment show, everything is precisely planned and executed.

Because of all this some already compare him with great CEOs such as Apple’s Steve Jobs, Starbucks’ Howard Schultz or Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. For me he is more like Richard Branson, just more aggressive.

My 2 cents: If a change needs to be made then the leader is the one that has to start it, manage it and cultivate it. Though there might be skilled change managers in the organization, if the change is to be accepted by everyone, then the leader must take an active role. Others can do a great job at managing the change but the leader can engage, motivate and show by example.

One with the Team

Although Legere is the front runner of the change he is not alone in all that (positive) mess. The team is with him and it is because he believes in them, in the project and in the company. Practically, by involving the people, being positive and having a clear vision, Legere leaves an impression that he is one with the team, that stands firmly behind the project and lives the brand. People tend to follow such leaders.

When your people are with you it is much easier to execute the changes, cope with the challenges and fight the battles. And Legere seems to know very good how to engage the team. Just take a look at his Ice Bucket Challenge and you will see what I am talking about. While others poor the water by themselves, he let his team poor the water over him. They did it and enjoyed it. All together they had great fun.

I guess others would also like to poor ice water over their CEOs, I mean who wouldn’t, but only some have that opportunity.

Eventually, in several occasions, Legere has shown that he is not afraid to give public credit and to point out the contribution of individuals and the team. Those and similar examples prove that for him “it is not about the leader, it’s about the team”. And that is why they follow him.

My 2 cents: People follow leaders that perceive themselves as one with the team. By being one with the team the leader shows that there are no differences. And when there are no differences they are all in it together and fight all the battles together.

P.S. After I wrote the post I read it twice from beginning to end and it seemed a bit too much of creating a picture of a positive example of an unconventional and inspiring leader. The question I had in my head was if he really is such a leader or is he a self-centered showman who does a great job in engaging the team with all the fuss being created around the movement. Then, all over again, I started reading all the articles, blogs, news, tweets and comments I could find on Legere, his team and the Un-Carrier concept. It took me some time, but it convinced me I was right to write the post for Legere and the Un-Carrier team deserve credit for what they are doing in the wireless industry today. I might be wrong, but if I am not, this could be the turning point in the development of a new era of the wireless industry.