Influence for Impact

By Dr. Nido R. Qubein

My dear friend John Maxwell and I share many of the same philosophies. One of these is the meaning of the word leadership.

“Leadership is about influence,” John tells audiences all over the world, including our students at High Point University, where I serve as president. I wholeheartedly agree, and I would add that leadership is also about impact. The greater the leader, the greater the impact.

I want to share how we have created a new paradigm for higher education at HPU by applying this philosophy of influence for impact.

A father of a student recently told me, “I wish I had been educated in an environment where people believed in me. You promote hard work, perseverance and the entrepreneurial spirit. You tell these young people to get up and try again. Do you know how long it took me to learn that?”

As a parent of four children, I understood viscerally what this father meant. And I was reminded of how HPU has transformed into a truly influential learning environment. Our goal is to prepare the next generation of leaders not for the world as it is, but as it will be. At HPU, we don’t merely lecture. We create a zone in which, through which and by which students absorb learning.

Students can’t walk from here to there on campus without seeing inspirational art, American flags, moving water that creates energy and sculptures of history’s greatest leaders—including their words of wisdom etched into the sidewalk.

Why? Because we know that every moment of a student’s day is an opportunity to shape who they will become. We have succeeded because of this unique approach. Here is a glimpse of some ways we effectively influence and positively impact the lives of our students.

ENVIRONMENT CREATES THE OUTCOME

My mother, who had only a fourth-grade education, shared some sage wisdom with me that transformed my life: “If you want to be great, walk side by side and hand in hand with great people,” she said. And, “Who you spend time with is you become.”

I’ve never forgotten this, and our team at High Point University works to implement it every day. Her words served me well when I came to the United States as a teenager with little money and little knowledge of the English language. I was enamored by the American dream and the opportunity to live in a place where you can achieve anything you put your mind to.

I went on to graduate from then High Point College, build a family and a life here in High Point, North Carolina, while also building my career in business, consulting, public speaking around the world and serving on corporate boards.

When I arrived to HPU in 2005, I knew the university had to distinguish itself. We had to transform our campus and our culture in order to transform the lives of our students. As Richard Rohr, the Franciscan priest, said, “Transformed people transform people.”

I defined a clear vision and asked faculty and staff to join me in moving HPU from an ocean of sameness to a small pool of distinction. We became student focused. We didn’t make a single decision without asking how something served the best needs of the student.

Our campus culture was energized by the challenge to take HPU to new heights. During a short period of time that would usually take decades to achieve, we became a highly ranked institution where enrollment has more than tripled. I also reminded faculty and staff that “we live, students watch, and students learn,” because students are paying attention to our actions. They need heroes, models and mentors to positively influence their lives and actions.

Please take a moment to think about what I have explained: High Point University’s entire staff is empowered and committed to making a difference in students’ lives.

We moved beyond focusing on the “product”—the diploma. Instead, we chose to focus on the product of the product—a life filled with meaningful success and framed with purposeful significance. HPU became a place of deep, intentional mentorship that leads students through a personal, transformational process that changes their lives.

Here are merely a few examples:

• While most universities require students to be upperclassmen before they begin conducting undergraduate research, HPU’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works has introduced a Research Rookies program that encourages freshmen to prepare for high-level research with a faculty advisor as soon as they arrive. No waiting required!
• Every freshman receives a Success Coach, and a community of career advisors, study abroad advisors, peer mentors and others support the holistic growth of every student.
• I teach the First-Year Seminar on Life Skills so that I, personally, can mentor students on matters important to the marketplace. And I invite global leaders who are the co-founders or CEOs of Apple, Netflix, Domino’s, MyEyeDr. and the Dallas Mavericks to guest teach the course as well.

In short, we created an influential environment and resourced it with impactful people. The strategies we implemented and the success we achieved apply to anyone, whether you are a manager, a business owner, a CEO, a parent or a friend.

The environments you spend time in and the people you spend time with have the chance to influence and impact you. Likewise, you have the ability to influence and impact the people and places where you invest your time. Leaders choose each of these carefully and wisely!

VALUES ARE THE FOUNDATION

Of course, leadership can be complicated. The need to make decisions is exponentially expanding—another effect of this technological age. So how can one make sound decisions? How can one educate a young person on how to make decisions? These are good questions.

Roy Disney summed it up best when he said: “When your values are clear, making decisions becomes easier.” (That’s one of many quotes from inspirational leaders you’ll find inscribed on HPU’s International Promenade.)

While we continue to purposefully transform our campus with innovative programs and facilities, we also remain grounded in our values: hard work, personal initiative, patriotism, generosity, gratitude, faith and more. The world will continue to change in complex ways throughout your life. But values are the foundation on which you stand.

HPU understands that values are the lens through which decisions should be made. And we know that you can’t merely teach values. You must also model values. Modeling values is the foundation for educating the mind, heart and soul. That’s why American flags proudly wave across our campus. Patriots Plaza, located in the heart of campus, pays homage to the men and women who served our nation.

There are kiosks throughout campus where students can receive complimentary snacks from a friendly staff member on their way to class. And our HPU family dedicates 500,000 hours of annual service. Our values are treasured here, and they are practiced by each and every member of the High Point University faculty, staff and student body. By instilling these values, our students graduate prepared to lead a life filled with success and framed with significance.

Families appreciate that HPU is a values-based institution. We understand that knowledge and the application of knowledge are important. But your values are what guide you when making decisions in life.

EQUIPPED FOR THE REAL WORLD

Don’t be intimidated by life’s obstacles. This is one of the ultimate lessons we strive to instill in our students. That’s why High Point University has become The Premier Life Skills University, where we are committed to equipping students with the capabilities that outlast and extend beyond inevitable technical changes. These include the ability to communicate well with others, thrive in a competitive environment, adapt, and navigate complex situations.

These are, in fact, the skills that employers say they need in new hires. HPU has conducted two national surveys—one in 2018 and another in 2022—of 500 executives at companies of 2,500 employees or more. Consider some of these national poll results:

“When you hire recent college graduates, what are the reasons they fail?”

• Coachability – 13%
• Emotional intelligence – 29%
• Motivation – 38%
• Temperament – 9%
• Technical competence – 11%

“Of these attributes, which would most likely cause an employee to be overlooked for a promotion at your organization?”

• Doesn’t accept feedback and constructive criticism – 46%
• Doesn’t know how to solve complex problems – 36%
• Doesn’t have the technical skills needed – 18%

These results are merely snapshots of many others from HPU’s national C-Suite surveys that show employers need people with life skills. Known as The Premier Life Skills University, HPU provides an extraordinary education framed with the life skills that outlast and extend beyond inevitable technological changes.

Yes, our campus is filled with ultramodern technology, labs and learning spaces. In fact, U.S. News & World Report ranks HPU No. 1 for Innovation. Consider the financial trading room with a live stock ticker, the health care simulation labs, or the professional-grade television studio.

Because HPU knows technology always changes, these facilities are steeped in life skills lessons, too. That’s why HPU is home to two fine dining restaurants with cell phone-free environments, where students practice job interviews over dinner and are exposed to global cuisine from different cultures.

When HPU students graduate, they are prepared to render value in the global marketplace with technical and life skills. They are ready to adapt and change along with technology in order to thrive throughout their career. In fact, 98% of HPU graduates are employed or furthering their education within six months of graduation—16 points higher than the national average.

It’s also why you’ll find a campus landmark at HPU called the Dream Big Chairs. They stand 16-feet tall on top of the hill in Hayworth Park. Students and families climb them, spread their arms wide and take photos of themselves seemingly ready to embrace what life throws their way. Confident. Unafraid.

Consider what one alumna Christine McKnight, wrote to me a few months after she graduated from HPU:

“Six months after graduation, I bought my first home all by myself, but I never would have reached that goal as a 22-year-old if not for the most important thing I took away from my time at HPU,” Christine wrote. “I had so much support at HPU that I graduated to face the real world with a new perspective. HPU gave me the positive outlook I needed to dream big dreams and achieve my goals without being intimidated by life’s obstacles.”

And that, my friend, is High Point University’s mission—to influence and impact. If you lead a group of people in any facet of your life, I hope it’s your mission, too.

Nido Qubein’s Take On …

Values: Values are everything, especially in a world where technology is advancing the speed and way in which decisions must be made. But values cannot be taught; they must be modeled. I remind our faculty and staff that we live, students watch and students learn.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Having an entrepreneurial mindset is not about building a widget and selling it. It’s about building value and rendering value for your client, customer, congregation, student—you get the idea. At HPU, we attract entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial leaders to coach and inspire our students—including Dr. John C. Maxwell, the co-founders of Apple and Netflix, the CEO of Domino’s Pizza and many more.

Life Skills: Employers seek new hires with more than technical competence because technology changes daily. The skills that outlast technological advances are what we call life skills—the ability to communicate, build relational capital, develop a growth mindset, embrace failure as a small price to pay for learning, solve complex problems and continuously adapt. At HPU, our curriculum is grounded in these skills. It starts with my First-Year Seminar on Life Skills, where I share my experience in building a life of success and significance.