Unapologetically Ambitious

About the Author

Shellye Archambeau is one of high tech’s first female African American CEOs and has been frequently featured in Forbes, the New York Times, Business Insider, and more. Formerly an executive at IBM and President of Blockbuster.com, Archambeau was recruited to be the CEO of a then-struggling Silicon Valley startup, which is now MetricStream, a recognized global leader in governance, risk, and compliance software solutions. She currently serves as a Fortune 500 board member and holds board seats at Verizon, Nordstrom, Roper Technologies, and Okta.

Main Idea

Unapologetically Ambitious: Go After What You Want by Shellye Archambeau is a compelling guide that combines her personal journey with practical strategies to help readers achieve their own ambitions. Archambeau shares her experiences and insights on setting goals, making strategic decisions, overcoming obstacles, and building a successful career, encouraging readers to pursue their dreams unapologetically.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Getting Around Imposter Syndrome
3. Sticking to the Plan, One Choice at a Time
4. Forget "Work/Life Balance"
5. Top Five Tips for Improving Your Odds

Introduction

Archambeau begins by emphasizing the importance of ambition supported by conscious choices. She shares her journey from a family with limited means to becoming one of the first female African American tech CEOs. Her story serves as an inspiration for readers to set high goals and pursue them relentlessly.

“Ambition supported by conscious choices got her to where she is today.” - Shellye Archambeau

She encourages readers to question what they truly want from life, what values they live by, and what lifestyle they desire, providing practical strategies to align their actions with their aspirations.

Getting Around Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is a common barrier, especially for women and people of color, that can severely undermine aspirations. Archambeau offers strategies to overcome this internal obstacle:

• Understand you are not alone: Many accomplished people feel like imposters.
• Become aware of the critical voice: Recognize that self-doubting thoughts are not truthful.
• Take compliments and wins at face value: Accept recognition because you deserve it.
• Adopt a “fake it ‘til you make it” mentality: Project confidence until it becomes real.

“Achievement requires risk-taking. You cannot take those risks if you don’t have faith in yourself and your abilities.” - Shellye Archambeau

These steps help build the confidence necessary to take risks and achieve success.

Sticking to the Plan, One Choice at a Time

Archambeau stresses the importance of having a clear plan to reach one’s goals. She advocates for making strategic choices that align with long-term objectives, even when it requires trading short-term gratification for future success.

“A logical, fully thought-out plan can serve as the guide when presented with a decision to go in one direction or the other.” - Shellye Archambeau

She advises seeking support when needed, fostering self-determination, and remaining committed to the plan even during difficult times.