We recently had the opportunity to interview Sadika Kebbi, a certified John Maxwell leadership trainer and transformational coach and the Founder and CEO of Kun Consultancy. Sadika is committed to assisting people and organizations in realizing their full potential and strengthening their leadership abilities as a transformational coach.
As a transformational coach, Sadika Kebbi emphasizes emotional fitness tools and intelligence as vital elements for personal and professional growth. In this insightful interaction, Sadika shares her career trajectory and tough times, exploring the market gaps and filling the same, fulfilling social responsibilities, and her take on making the world a better place.
The Advent Of This Journey
We started the session by asking, “Could you describe your career journey and the pivotal experiences that shaped your path to becoming a leader in your industry?”
Sadika Kebbi shared, “Civil wars lead to widespread destruction and self-destruction. Humans in these situations often experience denial, anger, regret, depression, and grief, forgetting that love can solve any challenge. As the conflict intensifies, hatred takes over, causing us to build walls around ourselves for protection. Our hearts and minds become closed off, leading to darkness within and without. Lebanon, once known as the “Paris of the Middle East,” experienced this firsthand during the civil war, including the tragic loss of my best friend Jana and her family on the cursed day of ‘Black Saturday’.
As a child, I was unaware of the situation, and all I wanted was to play. Jana lay on her pink mattress; I rushed to her and uncovered the spotted sheets. Her slit throat cynically smiled back at me. Two years after Jana’s slaughter our neighborhood was heavily bombarded. My family and I took refuge at Uncle George’s house, my father’s childhood friend. A while later, violent knocks shook the house’s door. In a split second, Uncle George was by my side. He took me in his arms, handed me his Bible, and whispered into my ear, “No matter what happens don’t look at the door; keep this Bible close to your heart, it will keep you safe – tonight your name is Mary.”
Sadika Kebbi added, “Uncle George was confronted by masked armed men who believed he was hiding Muslims. He defended his innocent immigrant family, but fear gripped me. Lebanon’s conflicts had made it easy to know who to hate, but Uncle George taught me a different lesson. Through our prayers, he showed that serving others brings out the humanity in everyone, even our enemies. I stood on my prayer mat, while Uncle George held his rosary and Bible in hand. We prayed together, and he kept on repeating – My sweet Sadika, when you hold God in your heart, the human He created reveals itself by serving others, then, and only then, even your enemy becomes human.
In response to trauma, people can become victims, avengers seeking revenge, or overcomers seeking to bring light to the darkness. Since I chose to be light, my healing and leadership journey started at 14 years old when I became a volunteer in the Red Cross, and ever since I have been equipping myself with the necessary tools such as becoming a certified John C. Maxwell trainer, coach, speaker and teacher, a DISC consultant, a parenting coach, a youth leadership coach, an NLP practitioner, an emotional fitness coach, a storyteller, a 2 times TEDx speaker and a best-selling author.”
Adaptability Amidst Adversities
Every business faces inevitable challenges that impact the vision of the company. To understand how various obstacles influenced and reshaped Sadika Kebbi’s vision for her company, we inquired, “As your company has grown and faced various challenges, how has your original vision evolved to meet these changes?”
Sadika Kebbi responded, “Most people fight against change, especially when it affects them personally. In the words of novelist Leo Tolstoy – Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Change is unavoidable, but growth is a choice. Those who resist growth will never reach their full potential. As my vision evolves, so does everything else. Initially, I aimed to empower individuals to become visionary leaders by promoting continuous learning, resilience, and innovation, creating positive change in organizations and beyond.
Today my vision has evolved into a holistic one. Fostering visionary leaders through a holistic approach, nurturing not only professional growth but also prioritizing mental well-being. In the face of rapid change, our vision is to cultivate resilient leaders who navigate challenges with emotional intelligence, ensuring sustained success and fostering a supportive adaptive organizational culture.”
An Untapped Potential
We were eager to learn more on version trends which Sadika Kebbi believes will be the next big thing in the industry. So, we asked, “Looking at the horizon, which emerging trend do you believe is undervalued but will significantly impact your industry in the next few years?”
Emphasizing emotional fitness, Sadika Kebbi shared, “The emerging trends in leadership training include a focus on remote leadership skills, emphasis on emotional intelligence, personalized learning paths, and incorporating technology for interactive and engaging experiences. Additionally, there’s a growing recognition of the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership development programs. The most undervalued trend nowadays is mental health coaching in the workplace.
Emotional fitness can positively impact productivity by fostering a supportive environment, reducing stress, and enhancing overall well-being. Employees with better mental health are likely to experience improved focus, creativity, and resilience, leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction. Consequently, addressing mental health issues proactively can contribute to a more positive and collaborative work culture.”
Filling Market Gaps
We were interested in knowing more about the time that Sadika Kebbi saw a need in the market and chose to fill it. So, we asked, “Was there a specific moment when you identified an unmet need in the market that inspired you to start your venture? How did you turn that idea into reality?”
Sadika Kebbi passionately responded, “After COVID and the lockdown, I have observed that many individuals as well as many organizations have lost their grip on the present and the future. Therefore I have designed a training and coaching program composed of three elements – the first one is a growth mindset or mindshifting, for leaders and people to shift their focus from challenges to opportunities. The second is value-based leadership, for since fast is faster and forward is shorter leaders in particular and people in general are forgetting their core values.
The third is mental health or as I call it emotional fitness for without it leaders and people cannot find a balance between their logic and emotions and thus cannot have focus and clarity of thought and as a result, their decision-making and problem-solving skills are affected. Consequently, I came up with – Grip Your Present to Lead the Future”.
Embracing Flexibility And Handling Uncertainty
We further asked, “In the transforming environment of your industry, how do you assess when it’s time to pivot your strategy versus when to stay the course?”
Sadika Kebbi continued, “If one wants to be successful as a trainer, coach, or consultant, one needs to learn to become comfortable with uncertainty and make shifts continually. We need to be flexible and deal with uncertainty, new trends, and changes in methodology and delivery without losing focus.
The truth is that every advance I make as a trainer, coach, and consultant will require a mind shift that changes the way I think, act, and lead. I cannot be the same, think the same, and act the same if I hope to be successful in a world that does not remain the same. Therefore it is always time to pivot.”
Making The World A Better Place
With so many players in your field, how does your service offering distinguish itself? Could you share the inspiration behind one of your key services?
Sadika Kebbi replied, “My key service, value-based leadership, was inspired by the question many people ask me: how can they make their world better? Whether it’s about improving their career, family, business, non-profit organization, neighborhood, community, or country, my answer is always the same: start by improving yourself. If we want a better world, we need to become better people and be the change we want to see. This begins by intentionally focusing on our growth. By doing so, we can add value to others and have something to offer them.
Personal growth and transformation may not be easy, but they are incredibly rewarding. By growing ourselves, we are in a better position to help others grow too. I invite you to join a conversation that will occur in roundtables, where we will discuss becoming a better person and making a difference in a meaningful life. By being open and willing to take action, you will experience the positive impact this journey will have on your life and the lives of others. You will begin to realize that one person can truly change their world.”
Responsibility Towards Society
Sustainability and social responsibility are critical in the current business world. We asked, “How have you integrated these principles into the fabric of your company, and why do you think it’s essential for your sector?”
Sadika Kebbi replied, “Integrating sustainability and social responsibility into leadership, personal growth, and mindset growth training programs is critical because it aligns with contemporary values and fosters ethical leadership. Leaders equipped with a sense of responsibility toward the environment and society are more likely to make socially conscious decisions. This approach not only contributes to positive organizational impact but also enhances a leader’s reputation and credibility in an increasingly socially aware world.”
Impact Of Technology
The fast-paced technological advancement has been reshaping the way businesses perform. To understand the perspective of Sadika Kebbi on this aspect, we asked, “How is technology playing a role in helping your company move forward?”
Sadika Kebbi replied, “Technology can help my company move forward by offering innovative solutions – such as online learning platforms by implementing user-friendly learning management systems for virtual courses and self-paced training. Data analytics – utilizing analytics tools to track learner progress, assess effectiveness, and tailor training programs based on performance metrics. Collaboration tools – facilitating communication and collaboration among learners, fostering a sense of community in virtual environments.”
Flourishing In Long-Term, we asked Sadika Kebbi
Lastly, we asked, “As we look into the future, faced with both opportunities and uncertainties, how are you positioning your company to not just survive but flourish?”
Sadika Kebbi shared, “When we hit a wall in our life or our leadership, we rely on grit, draw upon discipline, or work harder. All of these things are good, but they can’t compare to the power of a calling to keep us going.
In Dave Ramsey’s words – Higher calling matters. When you care so deeply about the why – why you’re doing what you’re doing – then and only then are you operating in a way that allows you to overcome the obstacles. Nothing in life is as rewarding as fulfilling our calling. Wealth, fame, achievement, recognition: all of them fall short.”
“I’ve observed and known many who lived without a calling. As the years pass, their deepest needs and desires go unexplored. They are busy, but they develop a vague anxiety that their life has not achieved its ultimate meaning and significance. They live with restlessness because they are not firmly attached to the moral purposes that give life its worth, because they don’t follow a calling, they lack the internal compass to make unshakable commitments. They never develop the inner consistency that they long for.
Every day they come up short of obtaining the fulfillment they crave, and it frustrates them. Thus, what will help my company flourish alongside developing new programs and updating old ones is my CALLING to add value to people.” She concluded.
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