The guy in this picture is my dad. This is one of my favorite pictures of him. I took it a few years ago when he and my mom were visiting us in the States. He is 89 years old and is experiencing a few health challenges now but his sense of humor and his zest for life are intact.

He is one of the hardest working people I know, and his work ethic is off the charts. The story I’d like to share today is about his perseverance. It is about one of the many instances when he personally taught me what it’s like to be 100% committed to achieving something, not through his words but by his willingness to do what it takes to get the job done.

Just for context, my dad dropped out of school when he was in high school to help his dad run their confectionery business and years later went back and pursued his education and had a successful career as an educator. He even went back to school to get his Master’s degree much later in life, at age 56, and retired as a college professor.

During his school years, the second language taught in schools in Iran was French and it wasn’t until my generation that English became the foreign language of choice. So, his English language skills have always been limited to say the least.

Now to the story. A few years ago, when he and my mom, by then in their early 80’s, were visiting, he decided that he wanted to get an American driver’s license. I tried to talk him out of it because I thought it would be impossible, given his language skills or lack thereof, but he just wouldn’t have it any other way. I had seen him in this mode before when he decided he was going to get something done no matter what, so I relented and got him the material he needed to study.

For weeks, and I mean 7-8 weeks, he studied. He would study all day long while I was at work, using a dictionary and looking up practically every word and making notes. Then he would ask me questions about the phrases he could not make out when I got home from work.

Imagine, what it would be like if you were to take the same exam in a language you don’t know. That is what it was like for him, but he was going to do it.

After weeks of studying, he let me know that he was ready. I had my doubts but again, followed his direction because there was no other way. I took him to the DMV and got him set up to take the exam on the computer. He asked for permission to use his dictionary and they agreed. Then he told me to leave him there so he could take his time.

About four hours later, he called me and handed the phone to the lady who was administering the test. She informed me that he had missed one too many questions already and had failed the exam.

Imagining his disappointment and what might be going through his mind to accept this defeat, I went to pick him up. He was shaking his head as I approached, telling me that he was so close to making it but he missed a simple question. Minutes later, he informed me that he wanted to sign up and try it again. I wasn’t sure what to say. There was nothing to say. He had to make it happen and that was that.

So, we signed up and went back a few days later. This time, I fixed his lunch and put some juice in a little cooler for him because I knew the exam that usually takes most of us 15 minutes was going to take him hours. I asked the ladies to look after him and call me if he needed anything, and I left.

About 4 hours later, I received the same dreaded phone call. He had missed too many questions! Feeling so bad for him and trying to figure out a way to talk him out of trying this again, I drove over there to pick him up and he was even more disappointed in himself for not being able to pass the exam, but you guessed it. He wanted to go for it again!

The next time we showed up the attendants knew him and were smiling and greeting him. I could see in their eyes that they were rooting for him and wanted him to succeed. I left him and his lunch and went about my business.

I think it was about 5 hours later than my phone rang and this time, much to my surprise, he proudly informed me that he had passed the test. I couldn’t believe it. In the back of my mind I knew he was going to hang in there until he accomplished what he wanted to accomplish but I was still in awe of the amount of effort he had to put in to make it happen. I knew he wasn’t going to have any issues passing the road test now that the written test was behind him. He had done it!

I will never forget the look on the faces of the attendants when I arrived to pick him up. They all seemed so happy. We talked for a while and I couldn’t help but notice the tears in the lady’s eyes when she handed my dad his paperwork and congratulated him.

I believe the people who witnessed this relentless display of perseverance were touched by my dad’s determination and hard work as I have been all my life. I strive to live my life with the work ethic that my dad has instilled in me by who he is and how he has conducted himself as long as I have known him. I fall short often but I’m blessed to have a role model that I can relate to on a personal level.

Happy Father’s Day to my dad and all fathers who have touched not only the lives of their own children but those of others and made them better people.

You can now listen to the new 5-part audio series, “Transforming Your Workplace Experience!" This audio series serves as both a great standalone introduction to culture transformation, as well as a companion to our previously available free culture transformation guide. In the series, I walk you through some applications and examples of the concepts presented in the guide, so that you can more effectively put them into practice and get motivated by the progress you will start making. I know that after learning and applying the concepts and distinctions that I present in the guide and audio series, you will be more qualified than ever to create extraordinary cultures that consistently deliver breakthrough results!

The Transformative Leader Audiobook is available now! I'm so excited to announce that "The Transformative Leader" on audiobook is currently on sale now exclusively on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes! The wait is over for those of you who (like me) prefer to listen to books during their commute or while exercising or simply doing things around the house! If you aren't yet a member of Audible, you can use this link (https://adbl.co/2MZWmaF) and sign up for a free 30-day trial and receive "The Transformative Leader" audiobook for free (plus one credit per month thereafter)!

About the Author: Amir Ghannad is an international keynote speaker, author of The Transformative Leader, leadership consultant, culture transformation champion, and founder of The Ghannad Group. He has made it his life's work to guide leaders and equip them with the tools, skills, and the mindset necessary to create extraordinary workplace cultures that deliver breakthrough results. Download his free e-book, titled 5 Practical Steps to Make Your Culture Transformation Stick by clicking here.

Want to learn more about The Ghannad Group? Click here
Want to get in touch with Amir? Email amir@theghannadgroup.com

As always, have a great week! May you Boldly Declare, Courageously Pursue, and Abundantly Achieve the Extraordinary!

A Father’s Day Story of Perseverance

What Compromising My Integrity Taught Me About Leadership

El Masivo Poder que Surge al Asumir una Intención Positiva