AT&T’s CEO, Randall Stephenson, had this to say this week:

“You lie awake at night worrying about what is that which will disrupt your business model. Apple iMessage is a classic example. If you’re using iMessage, you’re not using one of our messaging services, right? That’s disruptive to our messaging revenue stream.”

This is the classic defensive posture of a leader who is not thinking big.

He is waiting for the next big thing to go wrong. iMessage is causing problems, but the next thing could be worse. What could be next? He lays awake at night anticipating disaster.

When you spend energy on this kind of thinking, you’re not thinking big. You’re not innovating your products and your marketing. You’re not leading. In that quote, Randall Stephenson is the Cleveland Browns, when, in fact, he needs to be thinking and acting like the New England Patriots. He needs to go on offense.

He needs to stop worrying about being disrupted and start disrupting.

Don’t worry about reacting to others. Make others react to you.

Be the disruptor.