Alex Cummings: Super Leader – Rising to the Top
Set in an affluent neighborhood on the outskirt of the City of Atlanta, Georgia, the home of Alex & Theresa Cummings sits majestically with its walls of fine granite and cobbled stone driveway. The beautiful trees and manicured shrubs adds to the tone of warmth that is felt in the home, but would be in contrast to the challenges that made it all possible. Arranging this interview with Alex (as he is commonly called), was less cumbersome than I imagined. After making the initial request on behalf of Voices Magazine, Alex’s office Administrative Assistant, Enid, worked out the details with me. Alex was gracious to extend an invitation to me to conduct the interview at his home on the weekend, rather than sit in his downtown corporate office.
We sat on the veranda for the interview in a very relaxed informal setting. My goal on behalf of Voices was very simple: to understand how Alex shaped his career, rising to the level of Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of The Coco-Cola Company, a fortune 500 company U.S. company with a global brand, his courage and audacity to overcome challenges, and how African immigrants could become motivated by his success story.
“So Alex,” I said, “tell me, what is your story?” He quickly narrated his story from being born at the Government Hospital in Liberia, a small West African country, to his current top position at Coco-Cola. Then he paused momentarily and said, “As I think about my journey, there are several things I think contributed to my success. And the first thing I always say to people, is I have been blessed.” Alex admitted some may think he just got lucky. However, he reasoned that while others may have similar characteristics like high intellect and hard working, they have not achieved the level of success he has. Accordingly, recognizing and preparing to take advantage of a blessing is the key difference to just being lucky. Read More: Get a Copy of Voices Magazine: