I’m thrilled to share that I’m part of John Maxwell’s inaugural MasterClass! As many of you know, John has a big bucket list, and one of his goals is to sponsor 500 people—connecting us with leaders he believes we should know. There will be three such connections this year, and the first is with Dr. Nido Qubein, President of High Point University.
For those unfamiliar with Dr. Qubein, his story reminds me so much of my Sunster’s. Born in Lebanon, he immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 17 with limited English and just $50 in his pocket. I literally got chills reading his story—it’s the classic American dream. A remarkable journey from humble beginnings to becoming a respected leader, entrepreneur, and educator.
Today, Dr. Qubein serves as President of High Point University, where his leadership has sparked a phenomenal transformation. When he joined, the university was struggling with enrollment and funding. In the two decades since, he has turned it into what the Princeton Review now ranks as the “#1 Best-Run College.” Even my Lyft driver (and you know how wise they can be) raved about how he revitalized the university and the surrounding area into one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Greenpoint.
Enrollment has grown from 1,450 to over 6,000 students. The campus has expanded from 90 to over 600 acres. And he’s invested nearly $2 billion into academic programs, student life, and faculty. Wow. Talk about a transformational leader. He identified a niche and repositioned HPU as a “Life Skills University,” with a strong focus on values-based leadership and holistic education.
And if that weren’t enough, Dr. Qubein also serves as Chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company and sits on the boards of several major corporations, including Truist (formerly BB&T), La-Z-Boy, and nThrive. He built a successful career as a business consultant and motivational speaker before assuming the presidency at HPU.
He’s delivered over 7,500 keynotes worldwide—including to our very own MSP community—and authored over a dozen books on leadership, achievement, and personal growth. His titles include Stairway to Success, How to Be a Great Communicator, and Seven Choices for Success and Significance. His philanthropic work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Horatio Alger Award.
By now, you’re probably thinking what I was thinking: Wow. What an extraordinary legacy.
So even before the event begins, I’ve already started brainstorming questions I’d love to ask him—and I thought I’d share them with all of you. As my Sunster always says, “Start with a question,” so here goes:
On Leadership and Growth
When you took over High Point, it was like a failing business. You must have faced resistance to change. What’s your framework for leading transformation in an organization that’s used to doing things a certain way?
On Building a Strong Culture
High Point is known for its core values—God, Family, Country. How do you cultivate such a strong, values-based culture when scaling a business or institution?
On Talent and Teams
Transformation like this doesn’t happen alone. What’s your advice for developing leadership capacity in others, especially within a growing organization?
On Personal Growth and Resilience
You were navigating rapid change while holding multiple high-impact roles. How did you stay centered and focused in the face of pressure and potential pushback?
On Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Higher education is often bound by tradition. How did you balance honoring tradition with fostering innovation to build a sustainable institution?
For Business Owners:
What do you look for when hiring leaders?
Final Thoughts
We can all learn something from Dr. Qubein. He took a struggling university and transformed it into a national model of innovation in higher education. He champions life skills, values-based leadership, and entrepreneurial thinking—all of which are more critical than ever.
I’m beyond excited for tomorrow and can’t wait to share what I learn with all of you next week.
These are the people we should be learning from—true change agents. Instead of turning to TikTok or social media influencers, we should be investing our time in understanding the insights of transformational leaders. Make your own list of questions or lessons you want answered, and seek out the wisdom that’s already out there. Watch their talks, read their books, become a student of personal growth.
Lifelong learning is the key to personal and professional success. If you couldn’t already tell—I’m fired up. And I haven’t even met the man yet!
Until next week, I look forward to sharing all the growth that comes from this amazing experience.
