--- title: "Steve Largent: An Early Adopter’s Path to Leadership" id: "17135" type: "post" slug: "steve-largent-an-early-adopters-path-to-leadership" published_at: "2013-04-25T17:54:15+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T19:04:02+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/04/25/steve-largent-an-early-adopters-path-to-leadership/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/04/25/steve-largent-an-early-adopters-path-to-leadership.md" excerpt: "How CTIA’s chief executive went from sponsoring an early cellphone company to leading one of the most important voices in telecommunications law. Also: Why quality trumps quanitity when it comes to your professional circle of friends." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Established CEO" - "Leadership" - "Member Engagement" - "Membership" - "Networking" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Steve Largent: An Early Adopter’s Path to Leadership Here’s a trivia question: What former quarterback is now the CEO of a telecommunications association? From calling the plays for the Seattle Seahawks to serving as a Republican congressman from Oklahoma, Steve Largent, now CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association, has an interesting history with cellphones. The gist of Largent’s plans for the telecommunications industry, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links: **An industry always on speed-dial:**Although Steve Largent told *Seattle’s Morning News* radio program that he was “never a techie,” his history with mobile devices goes back three full decades. Back in 1984, the former Seahawk was approached by the Seattle-based Cellular One about an endorsement deal, and the company gave him an early cellphone. While noting the device didn’t always work as advertised, Largent was hooked. When he went to Congress after his playing days were over, he helped craft laws governing the industry as a member of a telecommunications subcommittee. Now, as CEO of CTIA, which he’s led for the past decade, Largent continues to be an advocate for the telecommunications industry. So what’s on the agenda these days? “Fewer regulations, less taxes on our consumers and how that will help roll out these services to Washington state in particular even faster,” [he told the radio show in an interview (opens in a new tab)](http://mynorthwest.com/11/2259713/Former-Seahawks-great-Steve-Largent-making-new-connections) . *(Speaking of the early days of cellphones, be sure to check out [our roundup of the key moments in mobile history](http://associationsnow.com/2013/04/40-years-of-the-cell-phone-key-moments-in-mobile-history/) .)* **A room filled with great connections:**According to Sonia Simone, cofounder and CMO of Copyblogger Media, [building a network of influential people can change your social and professional life (opens in a new tab)](http://www.copyblogger.com/professional-grade-network/) . But focus on quality, not quantity. “Being social is great, but you don’t need the world’s most massive network. You need a few strong connections with people you feel a real resonance with. Sometimes you get really lucky, and those people have audiences that are on your wavelength as well,” [Simone says (opens in a new tab)](http://www.copyblogger.com/professional-grade-network/) . “A handful of good connections can open out to thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of new connections — and one chance encounter could do unbelievable things for you.” **Those were the days:** It seems like we’ve been trying to figure out how to track member engagement forever, doesn’t it? [Wes Trochlil remembers (opens in a new tab)](http://www.effectivedatabase.com/the-more-thnigs-change) what it was like back in the day: “Since the dawn of associations, membership professionals have been trying to measure engagement in order to ensure that members who are members remain members, and nonmembers who are actively engaged become members. Technology is now allowing us to do this in ways I could have only dreamed of two decades ago,” he writes. What tools do you use to track membership engagement these days? (And if you’re an old-timer, what worked best back in the ’90s?) What’s on your reading list today? Let us know in your comments below. (CTIA courtesy photo) [Anita Ferrer](https://associationsnow.com/author/anita-ferrer/) Anita Ferrer is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/anita-ferrer/) Tags: [#Established CEO](https://associationsnow.com/tag/established-ceo/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#Member Engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-engagement/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) [#Networking](https://associationsnow.com/tag/networking/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoASAE Research Foundation and MPI Foundation on Neurodiversity in AssociationsDecember 15, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/15/asae-research-foundation-and-mpi-foundation-on-neurodiversity-in-associations/) - [VideoThe Graham Report: How to Land a CEO JobJanuary 31, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/01/31/the-graham-report-how-to-land-a-ceo-job/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [VideoKathy Pabst, CAE Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/kathy-pabst-cae-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2013%2F04%2F25%2Fsteve-largent-an-early-adopters-path-to-leadership%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !