Obstacles Welcome: How to Turn Adversity into Advantage in Business and in Life
Written by Ralph De La Vega
Narrated by Cesar Ramones
()
About this audiobook
Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, shares the lessons learned in business and in life along the journey from Cuba to Corporate America.
Ralph de la Vega arrived in the United States from Cuba in 1962. He was alone. He was scared. He was 10. Separated from his parents by Cuban authorities just moments before they were to board a plane to Miami, de la Vega was baptized early—and abruptly—in the waters of adversity. It would be four long years before his mother, father, and sister gained legal passage to America. But while the boy would never have chosen such circumstance, it's the man who can look back and say he would not have changed it.
In Obstacles Welcome, de la Vega recounts his journey as a young Cuban immigrant to president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, a subsidiary of AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T). A frontliner in the converging worlds of technology and communications, de la Vega takes readers behind the scenes of the Internet revolution, shares insights from the nation's top technology companies, and chronicles the incredible obstacles intrinsic to successfully merging the largest wireless operations in U.S. history.
Obstacles Welcome is an innovation manifesto for those committed to bigger thinking and greater results both professionally and personally. He clearly defines how to:
- Create a detailed action plan to boost success
- Identify and take calculated risks without fear
- Create a values-centric, decisive leadership style
- Transform vision into measurable results
- Recognize opportunities and overcome obstacles
- Communicate well and build alignment
- Unlearn thinking that hinders innovation
- Dream big and throw off mental limits once and for all
Opening a powerful cache of business strategy and in-the-trenches wisdom, de la Vega illustrates that within each obstacle we encounter, there's an opportunity that carries the potential to transform our thinking, our organizations, our communities, and our world.
Accompanying photos, graphics, and appendix are included in the audiobook companion PDF download.
PRAISE FOR OBSTACLES WELCOME
PRAISE FOR OBSTACLES WELCOME
“. . . [T]hrough his compelling story, Ralph shows how to turn almost any challenge into the opportunity of a lifetime. This is great insight for any professional or any young person aspiring to learn how to overcome obstacles and accept new challenges.” — Randall Stephenson, Chairman & CEO, AT&T, Inc.
“I recommend this book to those looking to improve their opportunities, as well as those providing leadership in this diverse society.” — Ambassador Andrew Young, former US Ambassador to the United Nations, former Mayor of Atlanta, former president of the National Council of Churches
“His journey is an inspirational story of leadership vision and the ability to achieve success in the face of enormous challenges and obstacles.” — Gerry Czarnecki, President, CEO & Managing Partner, O2Media
“This book is a must-read for anyone not afraid to make your dreams come true, regardless of where you are in your professional or personal life.” — Ernest Bromley, Chairman and CEO, Bromley Communications, LLC
“Without a doubt, this is one of the most inspiring books and one of the best business publications that I’ve read in my 40-plus years in the communications business.” — John Graham, Chairman, Fleishman-Hillard Inc.
“Ralph de la Vega tells an All-American story for our times.” — Henry Cisneros, Executive Chairman, CityView; former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; former Mayor of San Antonio
Related to Obstacles Welcome
Related audiobooks
Trouble with staff attitudes and commitment?: A handbook for how you get everyone to contribute towards good results Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Commit and Deliver: On the Frontlines of Management Consulting Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDeal-Maker's Toolkit Bundle, 2 in 1 Bundle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Thinking Smart: How to Master Work, Life and Everything In-Between Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Viral Marketing Success Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEngineer Your Business Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Letters From A Self-Made Merchant To His Son Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrowth Engines: Case Studies and Analysis of Today's Fastest Growing Companies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5HBR Guide to Your Job Search Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Liberated CEO: The 9-Step Program to Running a Better Business so it Doesn't Run You Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEngineering Business Success: Essential Lessons In Building A Thriving Company Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsManaging Your Anxiety Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow I Did It: Lessons from the Front Lines of Business Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wisdom of the CEO Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHBR Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Entrepreneurs: The Relentless Quest for Value Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to find customers: Techniques to reach clients with Internet, Social Media and Phone Calls Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBuilding an Elite Career Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Avinash K. Dixit & Barry J. J. Nalebuff's The Art of Strategy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBig Joe, The Rainmaker & Nephew Leech: Mind Your Business! Three Steps to Become a Great CEO Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEmpire: How to Succeed with Nothing but Passion, Great Ideas and a Wealthy Family Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat the Finance: Easy-to-learn finance practices for entrepreneurs who want to achieve high performance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Conscience Code: Lead with Your Values. Advance Your Career. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Tom Kelley & David Kelley's Creative Confidence Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHBR's 10 Must Reads for New Managers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPractically Brilliant Words of Wisdom on Hiring a High-Performing Sales Force Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Richard Templar's The Rules of Money Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnconventional Leadership: What Henry Ford and Detroit Taught Me about Reinvention and Diversity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Leadership For You
No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline; 21 Ways to Achieve Lasting Happiness and Success Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/525 Ways to Win with People: How to Make Others Feel Like a Million Bucks Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Win Friends and Influence People: Updated For the Next Generation of Leaders Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How To Win Friends And Influence People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded): 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Introverted Leader: Building on Your Quiet Strength Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership 25th Anniversary: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Spark: How to Lead Yourself and Others to Greater Success Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Principles: Life and Work Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Authentic Leader: Five Essential Traits of Effective, Inspiring Leaders Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Microstress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems—and What to Do about It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 7 Secret Keys to Startup Success: What You Need to Know to Win Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Third Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Obstacles Welcome
0 ratings0 reviews