Obstacles Welcome: How to Turn Adversity into Advantage in Business and in Life By Ralph de la Vega

Obstacles Welcome is the story of Ralph de la Vega’s life as a young Cuban boy who came to America in the midst of uncertainty and political uproar. He parallels life’s adversities with those found in corporate business. de la Vega learned how to welcome challenges and to turn them around to his advantage. Through hard work, he became CEO of AT&T and then of Cingular Wireless.

Ralph de la Vega’s recounted description mirrors that of a transformational leader. Transformational Leadership starts with the development of a vision, a view of the future that will excite and convert potential followers. He will constantly sell the vision. This takes energy and commitment, as few people will immediately buy into a radical vision, and some will join the show much more slowly than others will. He creates trust and actually cares about his followers.

Transformational Leaders are always visible and will stand up to be counted rather than hide behind their troops. They show by their attitudes and actions how everyone else should behave. They also make continued efforts to motivate and rally their followers, constantly doing the rounds, listening, soothing and enthusing.

It is their unswerving commitment as much as anything else that keeps people going, particularly through the darker times when some may question whether the vision can ever be achieved. Ralph de la Vega displays all the characteristics of a transformational leader, which is surely, what helped him to succeed.

The book reads like a PowerPoint presentation and each chapter ends with “Takeaway Points.” If you are not interested in business or in transformational leadership, then this may not be the book for you. However, it is an easy read and definitely one that should not be overlooked.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Friday Fill-Ins: Volume 1

1. A cup of tea might be nice if it were not for this damn acid indigestion as a result of a lack-of-thought Botox treatment.

2. Dirty socks and paintball guns strewn everywhere makes a place feel like home.

3. Everything has its beauty but sometimes we are unwilling to notice.

4. Don’t you love the taste of strawberries?

5. Art makes me feel nostalgic.

6. LOL I just noticed I forgot I put butter in the nuker.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to kids at home and the Winter Carnival, tomorrow my plans include re-organizing my life and Sunday, I want to go out to dinner!

To view the responses of other participants, visit Friday Fill-Ins.

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Carnival of Raising Boys – February 8, 2010

Welcome to the February 8th Edition of the Carnival of Raising Boys!


It doesn’t seem to matter what season it is, or what the weather may be, boys will always be boys. Tough and tumble, rebellious and loving … they are unique, exciting, and maddening all rolled into one!

Paul Reyes-Fournier presents Homer Simpson is a Hero posted at coupledumb.com, saying, “CoupleDumb thinks that Homer Simpson is a hero. They need to meet more people.”

Moby Homemaker presents Outta Work?Outta Hand posted at Little Moby Homemaker, saying, “Moby Home Maker is not your typical “At Home Dad”. He will share with you his wisdom on becoming a “Domestic God”, and keeping your wife off your tail. Enjoy reading “A Day in the Life of Moby Home Maker” as he chronicles his life and shares it with you!”

hall monitor presents 9-year old faces suspension over LEGO gun posted at DetentionSlip.org, saying, “Poor boy can’t even bring his toys to school without big time trouble!”

Brenda Sain presents The Tie That Binds Us » Creative Photography posted at Brenda.

Pamela Jorrick presents A Break In The Rain posted at Blah, Blah, Blog.

Arian Adams presents I’m Sorry Mom and Dad posted at The Dumbass Chronicles, saying, “I was the menacing teenage boy lol. This is humorous list of my regrets, things that my parents had to deal with while raising me.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of raising boys using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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A Birth Story

Possibly the most intimate look at the end of one life and the beginning of a new one. Read and enjoy …

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Apostrophe S

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Oberlin ATC Honored for Talking Down Pilot Suffering from Hypoxia

While this occurrence of a potentially fatal occurrence is old news, it still gives me chills whenever I hear the transmission between an incapacitated pilot and ATC. I have never commented on this blog about my personal hobby and life’s work, so I thought I’d change it up a bit.

The good news is that everything worked out. ATC commanded the pilot to descend to 11,000 feet because he was not able to make decisions for himself. Hypoxia occurs when the body is deprived of oxygen — speech becomes slurred as the body begins to shut down.

Listen in on this amazing transmission:

Hypoxia at YIP

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