Leaders are continuous creators of opportunities — for themselves and for others. They can offer us inspiring guidance on how to design the life we want out of the life we have. One such creator of opportunity is Fortune 500 executive Billy Dexter, a passionate connector, relationship builder, and champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Billy is co-author of the book Making Your Net Work: The Art and Science of Career and Business Networking. We sat down with him to discuss his personal story and unique perspective on servant leadership.
Billy, you speak often on how to get “from there to here.” We know about your “here.” You are a renowned thought leader on developing diverse leadership teams, an inspirational keynote speaker on the power of networking, and an influential board member of the Executive Leadership Council. What can you tell us about your earlier life — your “there”?
Growing up in Detroit, one of five children, I had a host of obstacles that could have readily capsized my dreams. Our family was at times on public assistance — and choices often came down to putting food on the table versus paying the electric bill.
No one from my family graduated from high school. My father thought college was a waste of time. But I decided I wanted more education and applied to 16 schools. Each school turned me down because my grades were straight Cs. My ACT scores were, in a word, abysmal.
One school, however — Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), a small liberal arts college in rural Michigan — wrote in their rejection letter, ‘If you’d like to discuss our decision, give us a call.” I talked my younger brother into driving me the more than two hours to the university to meet with the people who wrote me that letter. The woman in admissions said there was probably nothing she could do for me but reassured me she was impressed with my desire to better myself. A couple of weeks later, I received another letter. I was accepted to SVSU — on a probationary basis.
It turned out to be a four-year transformational experience at a school that was 97 percent white. I was faced with every academic and financial challenge you can imagine. But I made it through. I graduated with a 3.2 GPA, was All-American in track, and was named the school’s first Black Homecoming King. More than two decades later, I was honored with SVSU’s distinguished alumni award and delivered the commencement address. It was the first time I found the courage to move through the shame of my meager upbringing — and tell my true story of how I got from there to here.
In college, my abiding mantra was born: “Why Not Me?” I came to understand that I could do anything. The only person who was in the way to attaining my goals was me.
Your career path has brought a breadth and depth of expertise in working with talent from a variety of backgrounds — across multiple industries. How does the experience you just described for us inform your guidance to those whom you coach and advise today?
My biggest piece of advice, beyond the “Why Not Me?,” is on the importance of growing a personal brand. People, like products, have a “brand promise.” Throughout my career of more than three decades, in several industries and 10 different positions, my personal brand has become clearer and stronger with every experience. I have learned to embrace opportunities that speak to my strengths and help me deliver on my brand promise as a servant leader — and to steer clear of the ones that do not.
A huge part of my brand is the understanding that relationships are currency. Learning how to make connections, and building relationships from those connections, is where opportunity awaits.
In my early years, I sought to create those opportunities for myself. Now, I seek to create them for others.
Thank you, Billy, for sharing your insights and inspiration with us.
Connect with Billy on LinkedIn.
