Who would have thought a successful leadership career would stem from a high school suspension. But that is what happened for Alex Malley. His school suspension is just one experience in a line of missteps that yielded important learnings that led him on a path to become a successful CEO, television host, educator, and mentor. All of these experiences inspired him to write The Naked CEO, a compilation of the learnings he has accumulated and shared over the years with young people preparing to leave college and enter the business world. Malley’s key message is to never let fear or embarrassment hold people back from pursuing their dreams. Unless individuals are comfortable with their own journeys, they are unlikely to truly help others on theirs.
Young people can start their careers and build the “big life” of their dreams through courage, hard work, and paying attention to the following truths:
- Dare to dream. Individuals who are authentic and true to themselves, know what they want, and apply themselves toward their goals can achieve great things.
- The past does not determine the future. Individuals are affected by their early life experiences. Those experiences can create fears that sometimes get in the way of achievement. However, with self-awareness and the determination to overcome those fears, success is within each individual’s control.
- Creating one’s universe is the first step to success. Understanding one’s unique gifts and contributions and visualizing how to use that understanding to effect change is how an individual creates his or her “universe.” The process requires self-reflection and having the determination to follow one’s “passion, imagination, and vision.” This is the path to personal success.
- Without authenticity there is nothing. Every individual has unique qualities and unique contributions to make. However, without being true to oneself, those qualities and contributions cannot be brought to fruition.
- Success is based more on relationships and less on knowledge. Ultimately, it is people, not knowledge, that make the business world go round. More opportunities are created through networking and building authentic relationships than anything else.
- Wisdom is a collection of experiences. By using trial and error, making mistakes, “sucking it up”, and not fearing failure, people can reach their “big lives.”
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