“Well, yes, getting ready for the meeting, is a whole lot easier when you have good news to share with all of your stakeholders and clients, ” he concluded with a smile.
Indeed, as the University Dean for one of the largest publicly-traded proprietary schools in the nation, Emad had very good news to share with the CEO and the rest of the administrative board. He was prepared to report that his online MBA degree program was listed in the Financial Times, and was now ranked among the top ten schools globally, and top six nationally by CEO Magazine. The Military Times had also ranked his Business Department in the top fifteen among traditional military institutions, and several articulation agreements with some well-respected institutions were in the fold. Emad helped to lead the design and creation of several new degree programs that were growing in enrollment, and the business school had recently earned several respected program accreditations. Under his leadership, and with the help of his staff and colleagues, they had achieved a phenomenal transformation within a short period of time; nearly as wonderful as his beautiful, panoramic view.
While his business colleague on the other end of the phone rattled off accolades and discussed future opportunities, Emad’s eyes drifted from the falling snow to his computer desktop, and he randomly clicked on an untitled folder. Not recalling the contents, he clicked on an image that drew his attention. It was his first known photograph from the Cambodian concentration camp in the Killing Fields where he was born.
Emad’s posture and attitude suddenly changed as he gazed at his younger self; for a moment, he felt sad, scared and confused. On the other end of the line, his colleague’s voice faded away as Emad’s thoughts sped to the distant past and the little boy’s journey; from the Killings Fields of Cambodia, to the refugee camps of Thailand, and eventually to Brooklyn and Syracuse New York. Emad thought about his father, who had been tortured and executed by the Khmer Rouge regime, and of his older brother who died of starvation and sickness in those concentration camps. Emad remembered the abuse inflicted by his stepfather and being homeless as an adolescent. His mind lingered in the past, as he looked, pensively, at the picture of himself as a scrawny three-year-old.
Those scared little eyes looking back at him had already witnessed atrocities, countless killings and abuse. That young boy had seen and experienced so many terrifying events; they were the type of images that had developed into nightmares and post-traumatic stress syndrome. Emad wanted to reach into the picture in a futile attempt to protect his innocence.
“Emad… Emad…” His colleague’s voice brought him back to the present, to the telephone conference that was still in progress.
“Oh, sorry, I’m here. Alright, everyone, I’ll talk to all of you soon. I’ve got to get ready for another meeting with the senior leadership team at our other business unit. It’s going to be a crazy busy day. Thank you for your time, and have a great day, everyone. ”
Emad hung up the phone and turned back to his desk, wincing at the slight twinge that was an unwelcome reminder of the bullet wound he’d received in his leg. Indeed, that lingering pain, along with the dull ache from being stabbed in his shoulder, were familiar sensations. They and the many scars left by years of abuse and violence lay hidden beneath his clean, white, Oxford button-down shirt and tailored three-piece suit.
In the upcoming meeting his colleagues would be talking about the perils of competition, and potential for hostile takeovers in the market. Emad thought about the racism and prejudice his family had endured as refugees; the hostility he faced growing up in a violent neighborhood and as a hustler trying to make ends meet in a poverty-stricken community in New York. After surviving his past, the news of falling stock prices wasn’t even remotely intimidating. Emad grinned at the idea of his colleagues talking about preparing for battle in the boardroom when he remembered preparing for literal gang-related fights. He had earned his seat at the boardroom table. Born Veasna Un and now known as Dr. Emad Rahim; but it was those Killing Fields and the subsequent challenging chapters in his life that defined him today.
Emad’s past; those morose, maniacal and unconscionable circumstances became his proving ground, and shaped his courage and determination. In fact, it was how he had responded to those challenges that made all the difference. He and his family weren’t unique. Many other friends, neighbors, and family members had lived through the same atrocities and suffered unthinkable consequences. So what truly made him different? What actions, behaviors and mindset changed the course of his future? How was he able to take control of his destiny and conquer his fear?
S.A.L.T.
“The salt of any interesting civilization is mixture.” - Antonio Tabucchi
“Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error.” - Andrew Jackson
S.A.L.T. (Survive, Adapt, Love, Transform)
What process took Dr. Rahim from being a refugee-survivor of the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields in Cambodia to the multi-credentialed, highly sought-after academic executive in the luxury suite of a grand hotel?
What path did his tear-stained footsteps travel, leaving behind a past that could have completely devastated his family; a path that many didn’t survive?
S.A.L.T. describes the painstaking journey to success of an abused little boy, who grew up amidst violence; first in the Khmer Killing Fields that claimed the lives of his father and brother, then in the dangerous, poverty-afflicted streets of Brooklyn and Syracuse, New York.
Within its pages, this rubric of leadership principles holds a poignant account of abuse and poverty; yet rather than being a maudlin tale of despair, it is the chronicle of a champion. Dr. Rahim strips away the veneer of a polished, multi-credentialed academic-entrepreneur to reveal the raw underbelly of his inauspicious beginnings.
The same courage, determination, and perseverance Dr. Rahim utilized to not just survive, but to thrive during his turbulent youth, produced the seeds of success that would eventually manifest as mentor, educator and community engagement activator. These traits would ultimately propel him into academic and marketplace excellence. By sharing from his past, Dr. Rahim not only allows a glimpse of his misery, but also grants us the privilege of joining in the celebration of his victories.
Emad did not undertake this retrospective rehashing of his past lightly. At times this journey made him feel like he could jump out of his own skin; and at others that it was stretched too taut, prohibiting the possibility of imagining a different dream. So, it isn’t so much the details of the journey he hopes to convey, but rather that the journey itself is the dream and worth your S.A.L.T.
S.A.L.T. stands for Survive, Adapt, Love, and Transform. The authors of this book truly believe that it does indeed take each of these steps continually exercised at a high level to be successful.
Each of the components of this model are deeply interconnected with each other and represent keys to overcome challenges we all face either individually, in our families, or even in our places of business. Even today, the authors of this book use the S.A.L.T. model when dealing with the various challenges they encounter in their lives. Throughout this book, as we share Emad’s story, we encourage you to put yourself in the model and evaluate your own decisions and action orientation.
The principles of S.A.L.T. are relatively simple but not always easy to apply; so the beginning is a good place to start. Let’s get inside this term we’ve already slipped in a couple of times:
S - urvive
A - dapt
L - ove
T - ransform
Survive.