If you have been in tune with the news, you know that last Friday, the personal worth of Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba, skyrocketed to more than $18 billion with the I.P.O. of the company. He’s now the richest person in China, one of the richest people in the world, and on his way to establishing himself as an iconic business leader for the ages.

His story is worth reading about, and it contains this gem:

He was rejected at virtually every school he applied to, even grade schools, because he didn’t test well in math.

Jack Ma must now be the single greatest example of the contemporary world that you don’t have to test well in math in order to succeed at the highest levels of business and leadership. Many business role models are school dropouts – especially Bill Gates. But Jack Ma was rejected from schools, whereas Bill Gates was admitted to (and enrolled in) Harvard before dropping out. Bill Gates surely tested well, very well, in math, unlike Jack Ma.

There are plenty of paths to success. Don’t believe skeptics; they are usually thinking more about themselves than about you. (That includes most vocal critics of b-school.) I’m an advocate of graduate education, but if you find your intended path barred by performance on, say, the GMAT, don’t give up on your goals. Until then, don’t give up on the GMAT: work your butt off here at GMAT Free.

This article is part of the new series, The Leader’s Brief. You can subscribe for email updates at www.theleadersbrief.com.