Book Review: Obstacles Welcome: Turn adversity into advantage in business and life by Ralph de la Vega, President & CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets (Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN)
The author of this new volume is no stranger to the readers of HispanicBusiness magazine. Ralph de la Vega has distinguished himself over the years with his grasp of a rapidly changing world--and how to adapt to it.
It is fitting, therefore, that he would pen a volume that deals with how to successfully turn challenges into opportunities: it's what he's done his entire life.
He begins his compelling story with a scene in post-revolutionary Cuba at the Havana Airport when, as a child of ten, he bravely boarded a plane to Miami, leaving his loving family behind, determined that he would find a better life in America. He didn't see them again until he was a teenager, aged 14.
His early life in South Cuba taught him many lessons, which set him off on a lifelong journey marked with optimism, the ability to embrace adversity and learn from it, and a determination to make plans and take risks. De la Vega's ability to navigate, holding fast to a set of principles that provide compass points, has kept him on course in his remarkable rise through one of America's biggest corporations.
Whenever things get seem to be getting tough, De la Vega only has to look back at to July 1, 1961, the day he landed in Miami as a 10-year-old Cuban refugee without his parents, without money, and without knowing a word of English.
"Nothing I will ever go through will be as hard as that day and those that immediately followed," he says.
Written in straightforward fashion, complete with photographs from the family album, inspirational anecdotes, charts that graphically illustrate his strategic vision, and "takeaway messages" at the end of each chapter, the volume is an easy-to-follow guide that provides examples of excellence throughout. And the career timeline at the back of the book is an interesting tool that others might want to adopt to chart their own course.
The idea for the book came from audience reactions whenever De la Vega salted his speeches with childhood glimpses of being separated from family and figuring out how to get along in a strange country.
"The main thing I tell them is to begin seeing obstacles as opportunities in disguise," he says. "During difficult, turbulent times, opportunities are created for those who are willing to step up, take a chance, and make things happen. As I look back, every major success in my life followed what initially appeared to be an insurmountable obstacle."
De la Vega's relentless message, and many examples of clear-thinking and purposeful work, makes this business book stand out in a crowded field. He stresses the importance of lifelong learning, personal sacrifice and giving back to others; emphasizes the benefits of clear, concise, consistent communication; and consistently models the human side of leadership, providing a road map for readers to use to navigate their own successful path--in business and in life.
In sharing his wisdom, De la Vega puts his best foot forward. He told HispanicBusiness.com that the very first chapter "has some of the most essential points."
"A vision of a better future is a key enabler to overcome incredible odds and seizing opportunities," he says. "My parents had a vision of a better future for my sister and me and made incredible sacrifices and took many courageous decisions to enable us to have a better future. So the concept of having a vision that drives you and compels you to make sacrifices in order to achieve your dreams is at the heart of the book."
The book was a labor of love that took up his spare time on the weekends for two years. He readily gives credit to his collaborators, Paul B. Brown and Lea Agnew, "as well as many other who gave me advice and counsel."
He also credits the encouragement of friends and colleagues, who urged him to share his story.
"It is designed to be a unique business book which inspires people of all ages, but in particular young people to pursue their dreams," De la Vega says. "Once I saw how it inspired some people I felt the story had to be told now - in hopes of reaching as many people as possible."
Emphasizing education is part of that important outreach and is one of the driving themes of the book. It is a is fundamental message he shares often with young audiences, particularly Hispanic students.
"It's an irony that despite, their parents' and grandparents' efforts to come to this country in search for a better life, often Hispanic and other immigrant youth settle for less than all that this country has to offer," De la Vega says, adding, "High-school drop- out rates are the highest among U.S. Hispanics. Without an education, it will be very difficult for those young people to achieve success."
