What can great leaders teach us?

I recently had the privilege to listen to a presentation by Ralph de la Vega now CEO of the De La Vega Group. I must admit that he presented his life in a colorful way that simply captivates you. As an immigrant he was born in Cuba and his family had an opportunity to leave right after the revolution in Cuba. The family arrives at the airport to leave for America and the security personnel made a life changing statement; “Only the boy can go!” due to complications in the paperwork the parents were not permitted to leave and as parents they had to make a split second decision to allow their son to go ahead of them alone. It is hard for me to imagine the difficulty of such a decision to allow a child to go ahead of you alone to a new country – new everything. What was anticipated to be only a few weeks turned into 4 years before he would see his family again.

His education started in mechanics because that is what a guidance counselor told him that he would be good for that type of work. However, his grandmother told him to not allow anyone to place limitations upon his abilities. From the turning point he would go ahead and become the CEO of Bell South Latin America. During his early days in this position he would face 5 Presidential changes and the currency value plummet causing this company to go from $1 billion to $250 million overnight in net worth. The solution was to merge the 11 enterprises of Bell South Latin America into one company. They would turn this division around in one-year.

In the third phase of his leadership he would lead the merger of AT&T and Cingular in the largest cash purchase in history. This move would position AT&T to get in on the ground floor of the iPhone technology, Ralph de la Vega would be instrumental in explosive for AT&T. His leadership integrity was such that the Board of Directors bought into the idea of the iPone solely on the conviction and belief that Steve Jobs was going to be part of something revolutionary. AT&T would set a record one quarter earning of $50 billion and lead the company 9 years in a row for customer satisfaction.

What are the takeaways From Ralph de la Vega’s life story? To start with Ralph’s enthusiasm is riveting. SHARE your hopes and dreams with those you lead – Show (What do I want them to see) – Help (what I want them to do) – Amplify (What I can imagine) – Relate (What I want them to feel) – Enjoy (What do I want them to love).

Dream big and believe in yourself

Hoping is not a strategy

Be willing to unlearn what you have learned to embrace new things