Talking Heads: Paul Ryan

Position: Chief executive

Company: Walker Wireless

Staff: 80

What makes your day at work?

When the team comes together and it does something really brilliant. We look for a really diverse bunch of people to join our staff, and so we have ended up with a bit of a United Nations. It's hard work getting it to all work together, and it can take a while, but when it does it's just fantastic. Absolutely brilliant. Everyone here is good friends, and we treat it as a community or family. I love the "get down and do it" attitude they have.

When did you first become a manager?

About seven years ago I got a big break when I became manager of our labelling business, which is part of Walker Datavision. I'd been in a good sales role and been a good customer advocate, but I'd never managed people before. I was really lucky that the people I had in the team were just fantastic - all they lacked was focus. We managed a huge turnaround and it became a really profitable business. I've been with Walker for nine years, and I've been very lucky.

What was the most important lesson you learned on your way up?

No one has the franchise on good ideas. The second thing would be that it's okay to make a mistake, but it's just not okay to repeat it. The last lesson would be that it's really important to have skilled people around you who challenge you. Being challenged is something I enjoy and I think it's important. I've also learned the law of crappy people - if you hire people who genuinely don't fit inside the culture or the organisation, then you can't blame them. I don't think you get crappy people - I think organisations put a round peg in a square hole and say they have a crappy person when it doesn't work.

What annoys you most?

People who don't perform to their potential. Arrogance in organisations. And failing to learn from mistakes - that's probably the most heinous crime of all.

What has been your best moment in business?

The day we started trialling the Walker Wireless concept. We literally stuck some technicians in a car, gave them an aerial, drove them up to One Tree Hill and created the first Walker Wireless link. Then we did a deal with the Sky Tower to do some trialling and the rest is history. Walker Wireless was an idea that came from a lot of people after I asked a question and they all came up with the same answer at the same time. It's been the most incredible period, and I don't think I've ever worked this hard. Nor has the team. The best moment of all was when our chairman said, "Let's give it a bash."

How have you dealt with the pitfalls in your career

I've been lucky. Every time I've made a mistake it's been good to be able to put up my hand and not have it chopped off. So, it's always been a learning experience rather than a problem. If people's hands get chopped off they stop admitting to problems, and then they get buried and fester or become bigger. In this organisation we say that issues are gems, because we've found them and we can create something out of them. We have a weekly issues report where staff can put down an issue, and we assign a manager to an issue for everyone to see. No issue ever gets knocked off the report without an investigation.

If you were starting over again, what would you be

I think I've started over a few times already. I trained as an economist and a zoologist. I did philosophy and marine zoology and economics. But I think that if I started over again today, I'd probably be exactly what I am today. I'm always in a hurry, always impatient.

What will be the big business issue of the next decade?

The internet. Absolutely. We're at somewhere between 5 and 10 per cent of the internet revolution. We have no concept of the way it will affect how we work, interact, play, or whatever. There is a whole generation of kids coming through that have been brought up on the internet. We don't know what new applications will be invented. We do know it will look very, very different in two years than it does today. It's just an incredible time. This is the next revolution.

How do you relax?

I make sure I take a lot of time out on the weekends. I used to have a pretty active sports calendar but I've backed off a lot of that and now I do my absolute best to relax. Since we began Walker Wireless my relaxation time has been greatly reduced - but that's okay ... it's such a big opportunity that I think you'd kick yourself if you looked back and said, gosh, I relaxed too much. Balance is really important.

* Paul Ryan talked to Paula Oliver.