One of my dedicated interests is supporting WorldFund (formerly the World Education Development Fund), founded by New Yorker Luanne Zurlo, which raises money for educational projects in Latin America.  Started four years ago with the aim of assisting students through schools, providing training for teachers, and constructing new schools, WorldFund helped 30,000 kids in 2007, and aims to reach one million in the next few years.  NII Holdings, with its operations in South America, has been a big supporter of these projects, and many of our employees are actively involved as volunteers.

What was the last movie you saw, and would you recommend it?
The only times I get to go to the movies is with my kids (aged 15, 13, and 11) so I don’t think Hannah Montana in 3-D would really count here.

What is your favorite sport or hobby?
Most definitely golf, which I started playing at the age of nineteen.  I was taught by my grandfather, who was an excellent player and instructor, and who played until he was 88.  He certainly passed on his passion for the sport to me—if not his skill.

Who is your favorite historical figure?
I have to say [American president] Abraham Lincoln.  My initial interest in Abe was spurred by the fact that we share the same birthday, and when I was a boy, we used to have a holiday on the actual day, rather than the shared Presidents’ Day we now celebrate.  So in gratitude I researched him, and the more I learned, the more impressed I was by his qualities—which probably had a lot to do with how I came to be where I am today.

Who is your favorite living person?
Besides my wife and kids, I would have to say that my father has had a strong influence. He was an ambitious businessman who at the same time dedicated a lot of time to his family.  I really appreciate that now that I have my own family and am trying to juggle a crowded work schedule with getting to see the games and activities of all three of my children, not to mention rushing around like a lunatic at weekends to get them to all their events. 

My father kept the balance between his professional and domestic life largely through a strong sense of humor, and I have tried to apply this myself through heavy sarcasm.  At work I tell my employees: Be proud but never satisfied.  In other words: Feel good about successful results but don’t spend too much time celebrating them. Instead, recognize they are now in the rear-view mirror and that there is still a long way to go on the road of opportunity. If a sales department has set a goal of 100 customers, I tell them to make it 125.  People just never know when I am kidding or being serious, so by using sarcasm I am actually driving them to greater achievement.

If you could choose another profession, what would it be?
I’ve already covered several professions during my working career, from banker to CFO to CEO. In the future, I hope to use my skills to raise more money for charity, or for venture funds that help provide capital for projects that counteract global warming and poverty or promote education—either directly or through innovations in technology that advance these causes.

What do you think is the worst bad habit to have at work?
I hate the kind of people who need to look like they’re busy but aren’t actually accomplishing anything: people who use face time rather than effort to impress.

What quality or qualities do you most value in your business associates?
To me the most important qualities in business are integrity, transparency, and entrepreneurship.  To be a good entrepreneur you need to have passion, a desire to win, creativity, and drive, all of which are qualities you need in a business associate to make the business more successful.

Is there anything you'd like to improve about your own work practices?
I am always looking for ways to improve and constantly seek feedback from my colleagues.  My focus is on improving the company, improving my ability to be a better leader, and understanding the obstacles everyone is up against.  A leader must always do better.

As someone at the top of your profession, what keeps you inspired or makes you hit the ground running in the morning?
Starbucks!  But seriously, it’s having a long-term vision, and the excitement about the possibilities of where the business can go. That applies both AM and PM.  I’m always thinking about pressing issues, and when I am at work I am hungry to get started on what my wife calls my “giant horizontal priority list”—i.e., one that keeps getting added to at both ends—as well as my daily “To Do” list.

What do you consider has been your greatest achievement in business?
When NII Holdings faced hard times back in 2001-2, and was going into Chapter 11 with its primary funding source pulling the plug, I asked HR to get all the employees together in our largest conference room, and found myself looking out at some 150 very pale faces.  So I told them:  “You’ve seen the headlines.  Is anyone worried?  I’m not. And let me tell you why!”  Then I explained to them all the assets of the business, its great customers, its differentiation, its dedicated employees, and how we were going to restructure.  And we did.  We were cleared from bankruptcy a year later, and the best moment of my career came when I walked in to that very same conference room and shared the news with the employees to a standing ovation.  I am proud that I was able to help those employees—but most importantly the 3,500 workers and their families in our South American operations who, if we had not been successful, would have lost not just their jobs but also the ability to put food on their tables.

Afterwards, employees told me it was my conviction that helped pull them through, that gave them renewed enthusiasm about their work.  Such motivation helped tremendously in pulling us all through, but to this day some of them still ask me if I was really that totally convinced myself, or just a good actor. Leaders must always convey confidence, and as long as there is a fighting chance, they must do what is necessary to achieve the goal.

What advice or useful tip would you give to someone who is just starting out in business?
The most useful advice I ever received was: “You get what you in-spect, not ex-pect.”  Which means that you should personally look into things to make sure they turn out right.  You can delegate the work to someone else, but you can never delegate the responsibility. 

Another piece of advice is that A players should hire A players.  You should have the confidence to hire people you think can do your job better than you can, rather than feel threatened by them. That’s the only way your business will grow.

About Steve Shindler
Steven Shindler was recently appointed as Executive Chairman of NII Holdings, Inc. after serving as the company’s Chief Executive Officer since March 2000.  In his position as Executive Chairman Shindler focuses on the strategic plans and priorities for the company with the goal of maximizing the opportunity and the long-term value of NII for all stakeholders.

Shindler and his dedicated team of professionals, assembled during his tenure as CEO, successfully transformed NII Holdings from a start-up operation to a leading wireless provider with some of the best financial metrics in the Latin America region. Currently, NII has more than 5 million postpaid subscribers and leads the entire industry in all operational metrics. NII has been part of the NASDAQ 100 index based on the company’s strong growth and rapid increase in market capitalization since 2005.

Shindler is very proud of NII’s many recent achievements. During the course of 2007, NII was named a Global Superstar by Forbes magazine; received multiple rankings, including the #17 telecomm company in the Fortune 500; and ranked among Business Week’s InfoTech 100 for the second year in a row. In 2006, NII was among the Top 10 companies chosen as part of Business Week’s Fast Growth 50, and received the Stevie Award from the International Business Awards in the Best Multinational Company category.

Shindler joined Nextel Communications in 1996 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, a position he held until November 2000. In March 2000, he was named Chief Executive Officer for Nextel International, Inc. (now NII Holdings). Prior to joining Nextel Communications, Shindler served as Managing Director of Communications Finance at the Toronto Dominion Bank, one of the largest suppliers of capital to the wireless community.

Shindler is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He received a Masters degree in Business Administration from Cornell University. He and his wife, Mary Kay, have three children.

About NII Holdings, Inc.
NII Holdings, Inc., a publicly held company based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of mobile communications for business customers in Latin America. NII Holdings, Inc. has operations in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Chile offering a fully integrated wireless communications tool with digital cellular voice service, data services, wireless Internet access and Nextel Direct Connect(R) and International Direct Connect(R), a digital two-way radio feature. NII Holdings, Inc., a Fortune 1000 company, trades on the NASDAQ market under the symbol NIHD and is a member of the NASDAQ 100 Index. Visit the Company's website at http://www.nii.com .

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