Does your Accent Negatively Affect your Career?

Venture capitalist Paul Graham took some flak recently when he stated that a CEO with a foreign accent was less likely to succeed (see original INC Magazine Article).  He clarified his message with this column on his website.  The first article's editor latched on to inflammatory language used about the choice to speak with a heavy accent.  The follow-up written by Graham points out that an accent is not a problem in business, but not being understood because of a heavy accent is clearly a problem.
It's important to note that professionals have a choice: speaking with an accent which contributes positively to their career, or impedes their progress because they are not communicating clearly.  The difference?  American Accent Training with a professional.