January 10, 2024 • 33 mins
When life threw curveballs, our guest Dr. Rana Mustafa didn't just catch them—she crafted a new game. From the ruins of war-torn Syria to the thriving food innovation scene in Canada, Dr. Mustafa's journey is a masterclass in resilience and reinvention. She delves into how she transformed personal adversity into a catapult for success, refusing to let a dramatic shift in culture and profession dampen her spirit. Her refusal to dwell on lost academic recognition from her homeland and her focus on capitalizing on her strengths in an unfamiliar environment underscore the essence of true self-leadership. Her inspiring tale on our latest episode is a beacon for anyone navigating their own tumultuous seas of change.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 2 (00:07):
Welcome to the Leader Impact podcast.
We are a community of leaderswith a network in over 350
cities around the worlddedicated to optimizing our
personal, professional andspiritual lives to have impact.
This show is where we have achance to listen and engage with
leaders who are living this out.
We love talking with leaders,so if you have any questions,
comments or suggestions to makethis show even better, please
(00:29):
let us know.
Best way to stay connected inCanada is through our newsletter
at LeaderImpactca or on socialmedia at Leader Impact.
If you're listening fromoutside of Canada, check out our
website at LeaderImpactcom.
I'm your host, lisa Peters, andour guest today is Dr Rana
Mustafa.
Dr Mustafa is a multifacetedprofessional who wears many hats
(00:50):
.
She's a food scientist,leadership coach and
entrepreneur With a richexperience spanning over two
decades.
She has made significantcontributions in academia, food
innovation, project managementand project commercialization.
Her work has guided thousandsof university students and
scientists in their journey fromresearch to market, leaving a
(01:10):
profound impact in and beyondthe academic world.
Dr Rana's coaching methodologyis rooted in empathy,
intentional listening andpositive intelligence.
She empowers scienceprofessionals to build their
professional brand, enhancetheir professional presence and
develop their self-leadershipskills.
This enables them to emerge asthe go-to experts in their
(01:32):
respective fields.
However, dr Mustafa's storyextends beyond her professional
achievements.
As a survivor of war and breastcancer, she brings a unique
perspective to her work.
She extends her support toprofessionals grappling with
life challenges, helping themcultivate resilient mindsets,
reinvent themselves and turnadversity into opportunities.
(01:55):
Welcome to the show, rana.
How are you?
I'm good, thank you Well.
This podcast is kicking off anew year for us.
Over the past few months, we'vebeen talking about pivotal
moments.
I thought that when I read yourbio and just talking about
(02:17):
helping people cultivateresilient mindsets, reinventing
themselves, I'm like we need totalk about pivotal moments.
Over the next half hour.
I would love to dive deep withyou as a leadership coach and,
as I mean, there's so much morein your bio.
Are you ready?
Will you join me?
(02:38):
Of course, okay, people don'tknow you, rana.
I just want you to you know.
We're looking at a bit of yourprofessional background and your
whole story and how you got towhere you are today, so I'm
wondering if you can share acouple of snapshots that were
pivotal turning points on yourown journey.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Yeah, so I was a university professor in my home
country, which is Syria, and Ienjoyed and I loved my position
as a university professorbecause I always believed that
education is our way to go toolto change societies.
(03:22):
Unfortunately, because of thewar in Syria, I forced to leave
my home and my life changed forever.
After my home was destroyed,after five years of the war, I
was unable to carry on on mylife with my kids and I was
(03:42):
threatened by different parties.
So I decided to move to Canadaand my dream was to continue my
career as a university professor.
I came here as a researcher andI started working in food
(04:03):
innovation and food productdevelopment.
However, my dream as a facultymember and as a teacher for
university students was alwaysin my head and I wanted to
follow on that dream.
I went to the University ofSaskatchewan, got certification
for teaching university students, taught some courses, but the
(04:28):
path to continue as a universityprofessor or faculty member was
impossible because of differentcriteria.
They are asked us to do, so Ichanged to be to work in
business development and Iworked in different roles so far
(04:51):
, but it was just in helpingresearchers do their research,
and we can talk about it laterhow I changed my mindset to
accept this new reality andexcel on it and build my new
career here, a successful career.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, yeah, I can't imagine you have the education
from Syria.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I had a PhD, a master's and a PhD from France,
from France, not from Syria.
Yes, so I had those.
I lived six years in France,came back to Syria with my PhD
as a university professor.
I was a university professorfor 10 years, teaching students
at least 200, 250 students ayear supervising students,
(05:48):
projects, industry collaboration, etc.
And in less than three months,everything stopped and collapsed
.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah, when, where, how did that moment that you
know it's gone, like you've comehere and it's, would you say,
it's not recognized?
You're saying the criteria isdifferent.
How do you feel like?
Speaker 1 (06:14):
yeah, yeah, I was very lucky that my credential
were from France, okay, but Ineeded to do like certain
process to get to recognize myQualification recognized.
But as a university professor,they only they look at different
things, but the major criteriais how many papers we published.
(06:40):
Well, well, in Syria we don'thave enough resources and we
don't have money to pay forPublications and research.
So if you publish one paper ayear, that's a great.
If you compare me to any of mypeers in Syria, I am by far like
I am really Way like myachievements were totally
(07:04):
different and way like bigger.
But if you compare me to thesame person in Canada, I don't.
I am unable to compare myselfto them.
They publish more because ofthe materials, because of
different Financial resources,different resources.
So At first I felt it's unfairto compare people who are in
(07:28):
different contexts and differentsituations.
But I didn't want to dwell init.
I said to myself what can I dodifferently?
And I will succeed, no matterwhat the role will be.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yeah, I think that's that.
That's a huge comment.
I didn't want to dwell in itbecause you talk about
resilience and you know we getcaught, uh, in a pivot in.
You know things happen to usgood or bad, and and we get
stuck.
And you know, I really wantedto dive on that, on the getting
(08:02):
out of, because there was somuch.
I mean you left your countryfor for a reason you came here.
Your credentials, I mean it'sdifferent, so your, your
professional journey isdifferent.
Um, you know, in your commentwe talk about, or in your bio
breast cancer, how are, how doyou transition that that mindset
(08:26):
of A pivotal moment isn'talways positive.
You know it's, it's somethinghas happened, or, uh, it's it's
a defining moment, good or bad.
Where are you, this resilience?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
I honestly I believe that we build it through life
experience.
We cannot just gain it in oneMoment or one day or one single
experience.
Um, I remember the professorwho uh accepted my who, gave me
the job offer at the Universityof Saskatchewan.
Here before coming from Syria Icame with a work permit, so I
(09:06):
was communicating with Likeuniversities to find like fun
for my research, to come with awork permit, etc.
So this professor, dr Phyllisshant and I thank her so much,
in fact she's at the College ofAgriculture.
She replied to me I will Lookat your application and let you
(09:29):
know in a few days my opinion ormy feedback.
So I was waiting and verynervous.
So I wrote to her an email.
I said I am sure you will findso many people who published
more than me, who achieved morethan me, but I did the maximum,
what I could have done in my owncapacity, and I would love that
(09:50):
you Give me the chance To proveto you that I am capable, to
prove to you that I am capable.
She wrote back to me.
She said absolutely, I look atyour Uh LinkedIn, I looked at
your Research gate and I amseeing consistent improvement
(10:11):
and this is what matters Matter.
That comment In that pivotalmoment, in that transition time
between coming from Syria, fromthat war zone, to Canada, was so
helpful and powerful.
Of course she gave me the joboffer.
I came to Canada and duringthat transition and building
(10:34):
that resilient mindset, I met somany wonderful people who
created those moments of you,call them significant moments.
You can say, yes, you are inthat pivotal moment, but there
is some circumstances or peoplewho come to your life and they
(10:59):
say, maybe sentences, but thoseleave footprint forever and help
you no further in your journey.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I think you made two great comments there, and one is
about the people, the peoplewho we surround ourselves with
Absolutely, because if you arein a moment and you are
surrounded by people that arejust negative, negative,
negative, versus finding someone, searching someone out,
surrounding yourself with agroup of people, a person who
(11:30):
believes in you.
And then the other comment, Ithink, was just about the many
moments, because a definingmoment is all those moments that
are leading up to you know,there are so many moments that
make the moment.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yes, and in fact the same happened to me when I had
breast cancer.
So after this transition, afterI got the great job I have, I
felt that I built my life inCanada and I felt for the first
time for years that my lifeturned to be okay and I couldn't
(12:06):
enjoy it.
Less than a year in that newposition, new job that I loved,
a new life that I loved I knewthat I have breast cancer and as
a professional woman, I feltlife.
Just everything collapsedaround me.
I spent my whole life to fightto get education in a culture
(12:28):
was where women women are notsupported.
In my community, women aresupported.
My family supported me.
It was not a common thing.
So I spent my life studying andworking hard and now I'm sick
with they called me veryaggressive cancer used to kill
(12:50):
women a few years ago, so thewhole world collapsed.
Yeah, when I shared this with myclose friends they say, they
used to say to me Rana, you arestrong, you went through so many
challenges, you can do it.
But guess what?
At first, those words thatpeople intended to support me
(13:11):
with made me feel that I can'tshare anything with you anymore
because you expect that I amstrong so I can't share anything
with you.
I went through so manychallenges.
Is it my destiny?
Is it my destiny to go from onechallenge to another During the
first few months?
I can tell you that was nothelpful for me, until I was
(13:35):
reading a book, anatomy ofSpirit, carolin Mess, and she
was saying about look at theuniversal signal.
And in all my life I wasworking like crazy.
So I thought, yeah, this is theuniversal signal.
The universe is sending me asignal to pause and see what is
(13:58):
my life purpose exactly.
What do I want to do if I livefor even one year ahead of me?
What can I do?
So I said God, please help mestay at least five years so I
see my son graduates fromuniversity and I promise to help
as many people as I can.
(14:19):
I promise to speak because Ican, I'm comfortable speaking.
I promise to inspire as manywomen as I can, and that was the
promise and I committed to that.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
So where are you now in your breast cancer journey?
Is that an appropriate question?
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yeah, I finished all treatments on May this year and
I went back to work in August.
Unfortunately, recently I lostalso my job, but it's another
moment in my life and I can talkabout it.
In fact, the multiple pivotalmoments that I went through
(15:04):
helped me to build thatresilient mindset and create a
new identity.
With cancer, I created anidentity to myself.
I did training to be acertified coach and I called
myself resilient and transitionleadership coach.
So when I lost my job and I feltit's unfair because they said
(15:27):
to me it's not related to yourperformance, you are a great
employee, we are restricting theteam Didn't resonate with what
I believe in and it hurt me sohard.
But I said to myself and ofcourse, I cried a lot, but I
asked myself when is that Rana?
(15:49):
Who is that person?
Who is a resilient coach If youcannot coach yourself?
So I started doing that formyself right away.
I was very proactive,communicating with people, my
friends, to give merecommendation on LinkedIn and I
applied for jobs and I cried alot.
(16:09):
I allowed myself to cry when Ineeded and less than a week
after applying for jobs, I gottwo invitation for two jobs
interviews and to me it was anachievement, even though I don't
get the job.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Yeah, we were experiencing a little bit of a
loss together and so we havetalked about this and my biggest
question was how do wetransition out?
You talk about the crying and Ilost a municipal election and
we talked about it together andI had that pity party with you I
(16:53):
mean not with you, but I criedand I allowed myself to go, that
what Like, what just happened.
I felt that the doors hadopened.
This was going to be a moment.
I felt God aligning people intomy life with my campaign.
Everything was lining up, andthen you lose and I look up and
(17:18):
well, and I had said to myselfearlier, whatever the path is, I
will accept.
This is God's will, this iswhat God wants me to do, but
then you lose.
You're really angry and thecrying, and you have to lose
with grace or you know you can'tgo on and slam the person or
(17:39):
slam the job, or slam the mother, or slam.
You have to accept and go.
What did I learn from thatexperience?
And that's what I'm and I'vetalked about.
That is just.
I had to learn that that wasn'twhat I was supposed to learn.
I wasn't supposed to win.
Okay, I was supposed to learnsomething, or I was supposed to.
(18:00):
Experience is maybe a betterword, and that's really hard,
rana.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Absolutely so.
I can't, like I can, talk aboutmy experience with new coaching
tools that I discovered throughmy cancer treatment.
So I was doing positiveintelligence training and, for
the first time ever, Idiscovered why I was so sad when
(18:28):
I had cancer.
It's not only because I'm like,in fact, to be honest, like
dying, like it was for me, likewhat I am.
I will be away from my kids,from my beloved one, from my mom
, yes, but what else?
The thing that hits me so hardthat I felt I cannot stay at
home doing nothing.
(18:48):
I'm an achiever.
Positive intelligence is a wayof coaching, teaches us that we
have patterns of negativeself-talk from being from judge
to avoid or to please, or tohyper achiever, hyper visual,
(19:09):
vigilant, etc.
So for me, everything happensin my life I noticed, in fact,
the pattern is the hyperachiever.
Anything threaten my ability toachieve.
It triggers me.
Sometimes it triggers me in avery bad way.
I became so sad, so like I canbe easily depressed.
(19:30):
But knowing that this is whatit triggers me helped me to ask
myself why do I need to achieveall the time?
What if, as you mentioned, it'sjust a learning experience and
the other thing, in fact, that Ireally loved about this way of
(19:52):
coaching is they talk about it.
In every challenge there is anopportunity, and you can turn
every challenge into anopportunity of knowledge, of an
inspiration, so you can justokay.
What can I learn from this?
What did I learn?
How many people I learned abouttheir feedback about me, or
(20:15):
about the world, or about theprocess.
And if you go back in, like ifyou reverse engineering some
events in your life, I know thatI did apply for jobs or I did
things that I wish it wassuccessful and then, with time,
(20:36):
when I reflect back, or I datedpeople that I wish they were the
person who, like I, can't staywith for the whole life and then
later on in life I discoveredlike, oh my God, thank God, that
was not successful, so youbuilt all these kinds of things.
(20:56):
It's like a toolkit that youbuild it and when you have a new
event in our life, like whenevery event in my life, I add
new things, new tools to thiskit and the grief griefing, like
when I grief the time is less.
The more I am mature, the moretools I have in my toolkit, I
(21:22):
feel that that grief time isless, so I can accept and move
on on my life.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Okay, so Lisa needs to sign up for positive
intelligence training.
Yeah, I found myself.
I don't know where I fit in.
I listened to Hyperachiever orOverachiever and I think, oh boy
, because I have to go to thenext thing and I needed to sit
in.
What happened?
But that's really interesting.
(21:58):
So, this positive intelligence,if someone like, where do you
start?
Do you start going back and doyou start journaling?
Do you start recognizing?
I mean, obviously, meeting withyou is a great step, but if
somebody was listening going,how do I recognize?
Or where do I start?
I think that's the mostoverwhelming is starting.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Yeah.
So positive intelligencecoaching training is, or program
is was founded by SherzadShamim and he's a university
Stanford University professor.
He offers the positiveintelligence or sub-auteur
assessment for free for anyone.
So you can go, go positiveintelligence sub-auteur
(22:43):
assessment and you can do thesub-auteur assessment and you
know your sub-auteurs and whathappens.
They ask you questions so youcan recognize the pattern.
In the last few weeks you say,okay, I tend to avoid the
problems, avoid conflict, or sayyes all the time.
So you answer questions and atthe end you have the result and
(23:05):
it's good to work with someonewho is positive intelligence
coach like myself, or you readthe book.
You can also read the book andit's really very helpful.
I personally found the bookvery interesting and helpful.
I use them the positiveintelligent tools in my coaching
(23:25):
, no matter what the problem is.
Some people say, oh, I have timemanagement problems, I have
difficult conversation I cannothandle.
In fact, in one of my jobinterviews they asked me how do
you manage conflict?
I said, well, when there is aconflict, I try first to
(23:47):
identify my sub-auteurs.
So is it because I felt thatthis person is, for example, not
allowing me to achieve thingsand I'm a hyper-achiever, or
this problem happened because Iavoid all the time to talk to
this person and understand theirperspective.
(24:07):
So I'm an avoider.
So you check on yourself firstand you understand what's going
on in yourself and you askquestions to the other person to
understand what's going ontheir life as well.
So in fact, we can use it in somany ways and it helped me so
much in my coaching practice andin coaching myself.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
I think the one thing , my own advice, is, when we go
online and we answer thesequestions, we have to answer the
questions of where we are now,not what we want to be
Absolutely Like.
Sometimes I think, oh yeah, Idon't wanna be an avoider, but I
, or whatever it is, and Ianswer it to where I want to be,
not what I am right now,because that's not gonna help me
(24:54):
.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Well, coaching assessments, it's always about
being honest with ourselves.
So we need to improve, and thisis the goal of the coaching.
So if we are not honest withourselves and identify our own
reality, we cannot go where wewant to be.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Yeah, so I think I asked you.
So you are still looking forthe job, looking for the
ultimate.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
I am looking for a great opportunity waiting for me
and this is what I am alwaysthinking of.
I'm optimistic, know that now Ihave that Like we live always
with our family, and I know thatsince I came to Canada I built
that support system.
I have great friends around me.
I share my knowledge withpeople.
(25:46):
I have LinkedIn newsletter.
I coach scientists and thenewsletter called Leadership,
love for Scientists.
So I share my knowledge.
I know that I built thatpersonal brand for myself.
So for the future, I just I domy best.
This is what I do in life.
I think of life as an exam.
(26:07):
So you prepare for the exam.
You think of the preparation,not the final mark.
So if you prepare very well,the marks at the end will come
naturally, but if you just thinkof what you are going to get as
your score and stuff, you willbe very stressed.
I prepare and I leaveeverything in God's hands and I
(26:30):
believe and I trust that I willbe, yeah, supported.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Rana, you're awesome.
I love listening to you, causeI think exactly the same way
it's like, and I love that youput it to homework I that's a
great way to define that.
Yeah, I get that.
Fortunately, in high school Ididn't really do my homework.
Now I do, though, anyway, so Ihave two final questions for you
(26:57):
that we ask most of our leaderimpact guests, cause we are a
leader impact dedicated toleaders having a lasting impact.
So, as you continue to movethrough your own journey, as it
is, have you considered what youwant your faith legacy to be
when you leave this world?
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Absolutely and in fact it's one of my I can say
guidance light throughout mylife.
So, as a female scientist froma minority from the Middle East,
I want to show the world thatwe have talents, we have
kindness, we can create positiveimpact, even though the world
(27:42):
sometimes looks like crazy,especially around us with
different wars, and I believethat we, with small positive
impact that we create, we will.
That will create ripple impact,Mm-hmm and ripple effect.
So what I want to leave after Iam gone from this life people
(28:07):
remember me with kindness,remember my knowledge, the
positive impact that I createdin their life.
I know that I had so manypeople who created the same in
my life and I want to continuethis journey and I try to even
for my kids, to teach them thatthis is my values and we need to
(28:30):
continue spreading peace andlove and compassion and empathy
as much as we can.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
That's awesome and what brings you the greatest joy
.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
To be honest, Lisa, I love seeing people around me
happy and have peace in mind,wherever they are Poor, rich, no
matter what, no matter wherethey are, just have peace in
mind and happy.
And that brings me a lot of joy.
(29:06):
And the second thing is, infact, I love learning, I love
helping others, I love my family, I love family values, I love
kindness, seeing people likedancing happy, and I had that
(29:27):
photo on my Facebook in Texas.
The start of the war in Syria.
Make music, not war.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Yeah, when I think of when you said people at peace
and kindness.
We judge people because we lookat their lives and think, oh,
that's so bad and they are sohappy.
You know if you go to it, ifthere's a developing country and
if you've traveled and you seeand they're happy.
You know they take theirchildren to work all day and
(30:00):
they're strapped to them.
How happy could a baby, a baby,be and a mom on mom is working
it like.
But we judge them.
We think, oh, I put my kid indaycare.
So that resonated with me onthat piece because it means so
much.
It can mean different thingsfor different people.
(30:21):
Absolutely yeah, did that comeall right.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, in fact, and this is where I said wherever
they are, Wherever they are.
Make music, not war.
When people talk about helpingrefugees by bringing them to
another country, I always sayplease help people, stay where
they are, happy where they are,because they love their own
environment.
(30:45):
No one likes to just be pulledaway of their own environment
and leave People, even they arepoor, poor and like in fact,
richness is all about our peacein mind.
It's not about how much moneywe have, and it's a long
(31:07):
conversation of what I'm goingto say.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Well, Rana, I want to thank you for taking the last
half hour to spend with us andtalk a little deeper about
pivotal moments.
And, you know, just sharingyour own stories and your own
moments and again, how totransition out or how to
recognize and move fasterbecause that's the important
part is good, or, you know, it'snot always good.
The defining moment isn'talways what you think it should
(31:36):
be.
So I thank you.
If anyone wants to reach out toor engage with you, what is the
best way to do that?
Speaker 1 (31:43):
I am present on LinkedIn and many social media,
but I prefer LinkedIn.
They can connect with me, textme.
I am always happy tocommunicate with people.
I connect with them.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
All right, well, thank you, rana, for joining us.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Thank you so much for inviting me.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
You're welcome, all right.
Well, if you're part of LeaderImpact, you can always discuss
or share this podcast with yourgroup.
And if you are not yet part ofLeader Impact and would like to
find out more and grow yourleadership, find our podcast
page on our website atleaderimpactca and check out our
free leadership assessment.
You will also find on ourwebpage chapter one of Braden
Douglas's book Becoming a Leaderof Impact.
(32:24):
You can also check out groupsavailable in Canada at
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This will help other globalleaders find our podcast.
(32:45):
Thank you for engaging with usand remember Impact starts with
you.
Welcome to the Leader Impact podcast.
We are a community of leaderswith a network in over 350
cities around the worlddedicated to optimizing our
personal, professional andspiritual lives to have impact.
This show is where we have achance to listen and engage with
leaders who are living this out.
We love talking with leaders,so if you have any questions,
comments or suggestions to makethis show even better, please
(00:29):
let us know.
Best way to stay connected inCanada is through our newsletter
at LeaderImpactca or on socialmedia at Leader Impact.
If you're listening fromoutside of Canada, check out our
website at LeaderImpactcom.
I'm your host, lisa Peters, andour guest today is Dr Rana
Mustafa.
Dr Mustafa is a multifacetedprofessional who wears many hats
(00:50):
.
She's a food scientist,leadership coach and
entrepreneur With a richexperience spanning over two
decades.
She has made significantcontributions in academia, food
innovation, project managementand project commercialization.
Her work has guided thousandsof university students and
scientists in their journey fromresearch to market, leaving a
(01:10):
profound impact in and beyondthe academic world.
Dr Rana's coaching methodologyis rooted in empathy,
intentional listening andpositive intelligence.
She empowers scienceprofessionals to build their
professional brand, enhancetheir professional presence and
develop their self-leadershipskills.
This enables them to emerge asthe go-to experts in their
(01:32):
respective fields.
However, dr Mustafa's storyextends beyond her professional
achievements.
As a survivor of war and breastcancer, she brings a unique
perspective to her work.
She extends her support toprofessionals grappling with
life challenges, helping themcultivate resilient mindsets,
reinvent themselves and turnadversity into opportunities.
(01:55):
Welcome to the show, rana.
How are you?
I'm good, thank you Well.
This podcast is kicking off anew year for us.
Over the past few months, we'vebeen talking about pivotal
moments.
I thought that when I read yourbio and just talking about
(02:17):
helping people cultivateresilient mindsets, reinventing
themselves, I'm like we need totalk about pivotal moments.
Over the next half hour.
I would love to dive deep withyou as a leadership coach and,
as I mean, there's so much morein your bio.
Are you ready?
Will you join me?
(02:38):
Of course, okay, people don'tknow you, rana.
I just want you to you know.
We're looking at a bit of yourprofessional background and your
whole story and how you got towhere you are today, so I'm
wondering if you can share acouple of snapshots that were
pivotal turning points on yourown journey.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Yeah, so I was a university professor in my home
country, which is Syria, and Ienjoyed and I loved my position
as a university professorbecause I always believed that
education is our way to go toolto change societies.
(03:22):
Unfortunately, because of thewar in Syria, I forced to leave
my home and my life changed forever.
After my home was destroyed,after five years of the war, I
was unable to carry on on mylife with my kids and I was
(03:42):
threatened by different parties.
So I decided to move to Canadaand my dream was to continue my
career as a university professor.
I came here as a researcher andI started working in food
(04:03):
innovation and food productdevelopment.
However, my dream as a facultymember and as a teacher for
university students was alwaysin my head and I wanted to
follow on that dream.
I went to the University ofSaskatchewan, got certification
for teaching university students, taught some courses, but the
(04:28):
path to continue as a universityprofessor or faculty member was
impossible because of differentcriteria.
They are asked us to do, so Ichanged to be to work in
business development and Iworked in different roles so far
(04:51):
, but it was just in helpingresearchers do their research,
and we can talk about it laterhow I changed my mindset to
accept this new reality andexcel on it and build my new
career here, a successful career.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, yeah, I can't imagine you have the education
from Syria.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I had a PhD, a master's and a PhD from France,
from France, not from Syria.
Yes, so I had those.
I lived six years in France,came back to Syria with my PhD
as a university professor.
I was a university professorfor 10 years, teaching students
at least 200, 250 students ayear supervising students,
(05:48):
projects, industry collaboration, etc.
And in less than three months,everything stopped and collapsed
.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah, when, where, how did that moment that you
know it's gone, like you've comehere and it's, would you say,
it's not recognized?
You're saying the criteria isdifferent.
How do you feel like?
Speaker 1 (06:14):
yeah, yeah, I was very lucky that my credential
were from France, okay, but Ineeded to do like certain
process to get to recognize myQualification recognized.
But as a university professor,they only they look at different
things, but the major criteriais how many papers we published.
(06:40):
Well, well, in Syria we don'thave enough resources and we
don't have money to pay forPublications and research.
So if you publish one paper ayear, that's a great.
If you compare me to any of mypeers in Syria, I am by far like
I am really Way like myachievements were totally
(07:04):
different and way like bigger.
But if you compare me to thesame person in Canada, I don't.
I am unable to compare myselfto them.
They publish more because ofthe materials, because of
different Financial resources,different resources.
So At first I felt it's unfairto compare people who are in
(07:28):
different contexts and differentsituations.
But I didn't want to dwell init.
I said to myself what can I dodifferently?
And I will succeed, no matterwhat the role will be.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yeah, I think that's that.
That's a huge comment.
I didn't want to dwell in itbecause you talk about
resilience and you know we getcaught, uh, in a pivot in.
You know things happen to usgood or bad, and and we get
stuck.
And you know, I really wantedto dive on that, on the getting
(08:02):
out of, because there was somuch.
I mean you left your countryfor for a reason you came here.
Your credentials, I mean it'sdifferent, so your, your
professional journey isdifferent.
Um, you know, in your commentwe talk about, or in your bio
breast cancer, how are, how doyou transition that that mindset
(08:26):
of A pivotal moment isn'talways positive.
You know it's, it's somethinghas happened, or, uh, it's it's
a defining moment, good or bad.
Where are you, this resilience?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
I honestly I believe that we build it through life
experience.
We cannot just gain it in oneMoment or one day or one single
experience.
Um, I remember the professorwho uh accepted my who, gave me
the job offer at the Universityof Saskatchewan.
Here before coming from Syria Icame with a work permit, so I
(09:06):
was communicating with Likeuniversities to find like fun
for my research, to come with awork permit, etc.
So this professor, dr Phyllisshant and I thank her so much,
in fact she's at the College ofAgriculture.
She replied to me I will Lookat your application and let you
(09:29):
know in a few days my opinion ormy feedback.
So I was waiting and verynervous.
So I wrote to her an email.
I said I am sure you will findso many people who published
more than me, who achieved morethan me, but I did the maximum,
what I could have done in my owncapacity, and I would love that
(09:50):
you Give me the chance To proveto you that I am capable, to
prove to you that I am capable.
She wrote back to me.
She said absolutely, I look atyour Uh LinkedIn, I looked at
your Research gate and I amseeing consistent improvement
(10:11):
and this is what matters Matter.
That comment In that pivotalmoment, in that transition time
between coming from Syria, fromthat war zone, to Canada, was so
helpful and powerful.
Of course she gave me the joboffer.
I came to Canada and duringthat transition and building
(10:34):
that resilient mindset, I met somany wonderful people who
created those moments of you,call them significant moments.
You can say, yes, you are inthat pivotal moment, but there
is some circumstances or peoplewho come to your life and they
(10:59):
say, maybe sentences, but thoseleave footprint forever and help
you no further in your journey.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I think you made two great comments there, and one is
about the people, the peoplewho we surround ourselves with
Absolutely, because if you arein a moment and you are
surrounded by people that arejust negative, negative,
negative, versus finding someone, searching someone out,
surrounding yourself with agroup of people, a person who
(11:30):
believes in you.
And then the other comment, Ithink, was just about the many
moments, because a definingmoment is all those moments that
are leading up to you know,there are so many moments that
make the moment.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yes, and in fact the same happened to me when I had
breast cancer.
So after this transition, afterI got the great job I have, I
felt that I built my life inCanada and I felt for the first
time for years that my lifeturned to be okay and I couldn't
(12:06):
enjoy it.
Less than a year in that newposition, new job that I loved,
a new life that I loved I knewthat I have breast cancer and as
a professional woman, I feltlife.
Just everything collapsedaround me.
I spent my whole life to fightto get education in a culture
(12:28):
was where women women are notsupported.
In my community, women aresupported.
My family supported me.
It was not a common thing.
So I spent my life studying andworking hard and now I'm sick
with they called me veryaggressive cancer used to kill
(12:50):
women a few years ago, so thewhole world collapsed.
Yeah, when I shared this with myclose friends they say, they
used to say to me Rana, you arestrong, you went through so many
challenges, you can do it.
But guess what?
At first, those words thatpeople intended to support me
(13:11):
with made me feel that I can'tshare anything with you anymore
because you expect that I amstrong so I can't share anything
with you.
I went through so manychallenges.
Is it my destiny?
Is it my destiny to go from onechallenge to another During the
first few months?
I can tell you that was nothelpful for me, until I was
(13:35):
reading a book, anatomy ofSpirit, carolin Mess, and she
was saying about look at theuniversal signal.
And in all my life I wasworking like crazy.
So I thought, yeah, this is theuniversal signal.
The universe is sending me asignal to pause and see what is
(13:58):
my life purpose exactly.
What do I want to do if I livefor even one year ahead of me?
What can I do?
So I said God, please help mestay at least five years so I
see my son graduates fromuniversity and I promise to help
as many people as I can.
(14:19):
I promise to speak because Ican, I'm comfortable speaking.
I promise to inspire as manywomen as I can, and that was the
promise and I committed to that.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
So where are you now in your breast cancer journey?
Is that an appropriate question?
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yeah, I finished all treatments on May this year and
I went back to work in August.
Unfortunately, recently I lostalso my job, but it's another
moment in my life and I can talkabout it.
In fact, the multiple pivotalmoments that I went through
(15:04):
helped me to build thatresilient mindset and create a
new identity.
With cancer, I created anidentity to myself.
I did training to be acertified coach and I called
myself resilient and transitionleadership coach.
So when I lost my job and I feltit's unfair because they said
(15:27):
to me it's not related to yourperformance, you are a great
employee, we are restricting theteam Didn't resonate with what
I believe in and it hurt me sohard.
But I said to myself and ofcourse, I cried a lot, but I
asked myself when is that Rana?
(15:49):
Who is that person?
Who is a resilient coach If youcannot coach yourself?
So I started doing that formyself right away.
I was very proactive,communicating with people, my
friends, to give merecommendation on LinkedIn and I
applied for jobs and I cried alot.
(16:09):
I allowed myself to cry when Ineeded and less than a week
after applying for jobs, I gottwo invitation for two jobs
interviews and to me it was anachievement, even though I don't
get the job.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Yeah, we were experiencing a little bit of a
loss together and so we havetalked about this and my biggest
question was how do wetransition out?
You talk about the crying and Ilost a municipal election and
we talked about it together andI had that pity party with you I
(16:53):
mean not with you, but I criedand I allowed myself to go, that
what Like, what just happened.
I felt that the doors hadopened.
This was going to be a moment.
I felt God aligning people intomy life with my campaign.
Everything was lining up, andthen you lose and I look up and
(17:18):
well, and I had said to myselfearlier, whatever the path is, I
will accept.
This is God's will, this iswhat God wants me to do, but
then you lose.
You're really angry and thecrying, and you have to lose
with grace or you know you can'tgo on and slam the person or
(17:39):
slam the job, or slam the mother, or slam.
You have to accept and go.
What did I learn from thatexperience?
And that's what I'm and I'vetalked about.
That is just.
I had to learn that that wasn'twhat I was supposed to learn.
I wasn't supposed to win.
Okay, I was supposed to learnsomething, or I was supposed to.
(18:00):
Experience is maybe a betterword, and that's really hard,
rana.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Absolutely so.
I can't, like I can, talk aboutmy experience with new coaching
tools that I discovered throughmy cancer treatment.
So I was doing positiveintelligence training and, for
the first time ever, Idiscovered why I was so sad when
(18:28):
I had cancer.
It's not only because I'm like,in fact, to be honest, like
dying, like it was for me, likewhat I am.
I will be away from my kids,from my beloved one, from my mom
, yes, but what else?
The thing that hits me so hardthat I felt I cannot stay at
home doing nothing.
(18:48):
I'm an achiever.
Positive intelligence is a wayof coaching, teaches us that we
have patterns of negativeself-talk from being from judge
to avoid or to please, or tohyper achiever, hyper visual,
(19:09):
vigilant, etc.
So for me, everything happensin my life I noticed, in fact,
the pattern is the hyperachiever.
Anything threaten my ability toachieve.
It triggers me.
Sometimes it triggers me in avery bad way.
I became so sad, so like I canbe easily depressed.
(19:30):
But knowing that this is whatit triggers me helped me to ask
myself why do I need to achieveall the time?
What if, as you mentioned, it'sjust a learning experience and
the other thing, in fact, that Ireally loved about this way of
(19:52):
coaching is they talk about it.
In every challenge there is anopportunity, and you can turn
every challenge into anopportunity of knowledge, of an
inspiration, so you can justokay.
What can I learn from this?
What did I learn?
How many people I learned abouttheir feedback about me, or
(20:15):
about the world, or about theprocess.
And if you go back in, like ifyou reverse engineering some
events in your life, I know thatI did apply for jobs or I did
things that I wish it wassuccessful and then, with time,
(20:36):
when I reflect back, or I datedpeople that I wish they were the
person who, like I, can't staywith for the whole life and then
later on in life I discoveredlike, oh my God, thank God, that
was not successful, so youbuilt all these kinds of things.
(20:56):
It's like a toolkit that youbuild it and when you have a new
event in our life, like whenevery event in my life, I add
new things, new tools to thiskit and the grief griefing, like
when I grief the time is less.
The more I am mature, the moretools I have in my toolkit, I
(21:22):
feel that that grief time isless, so I can accept and move
on on my life.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Okay, so Lisa needs to sign up for positive
intelligence training.
Yeah, I found myself.
I don't know where I fit in.
I listened to Hyperachiever orOverachiever and I think, oh boy
, because I have to go to thenext thing and I needed to sit
in.
What happened?
But that's really interesting.
(21:58):
So, this positive intelligence,if someone like, where do you
start?
Do you start going back and doyou start journaling?
Do you start recognizing?
I mean, obviously, meeting withyou is a great step, but if
somebody was listening going,how do I recognize?
Or where do I start?
I think that's the mostoverwhelming is starting.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Yeah.
So positive intelligencecoaching training is, or program
is was founded by SherzadShamim and he's a university
Stanford University professor.
He offers the positiveintelligence or sub-auteur
assessment for free for anyone.
So you can go, go positiveintelligence sub-auteur
(22:43):
assessment and you can do thesub-auteur assessment and you
know your sub-auteurs and whathappens.
They ask you questions so youcan recognize the pattern.
In the last few weeks you say,okay, I tend to avoid the
problems, avoid conflict, or sayyes all the time.
So you answer questions and atthe end you have the result and
(23:05):
it's good to work with someonewho is positive intelligence
coach like myself, or you readthe book.
You can also read the book andit's really very helpful.
I personally found the bookvery interesting and helpful.
I use them the positiveintelligent tools in my coaching
(23:25):
, no matter what the problem is.
Some people say, oh, I have timemanagement problems, I have
difficult conversation I cannothandle.
In fact, in one of my jobinterviews they asked me how do
you manage conflict?
I said, well, when there is aconflict, I try first to
(23:47):
identify my sub-auteurs.
So is it because I felt thatthis person is, for example, not
allowing me to achieve thingsand I'm a hyper-achiever, or
this problem happened because Iavoid all the time to talk to
this person and understand theirperspective.
(24:07):
So I'm an avoider.
So you check on yourself firstand you understand what's going
on in yourself and you askquestions to the other person to
understand what's going ontheir life as well.
So in fact, we can use it in somany ways and it helped me so
much in my coaching practice andin coaching myself.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
I think the one thing , my own advice, is, when we go
online and we answer thesequestions, we have to answer the
questions of where we are now,not what we want to be
Absolutely Like.
Sometimes I think, oh yeah, Idon't wanna be an avoider, but I
, or whatever it is, and Ianswer it to where I want to be,
not what I am right now,because that's not gonna help me
(24:54):
.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Well, coaching assessments, it's always about
being honest with ourselves.
So we need to improve, and thisis the goal of the coaching.
So if we are not honest withourselves and identify our own
reality, we cannot go where wewant to be.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Yeah, so I think I asked you.
So you are still looking forthe job, looking for the
ultimate.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
I am looking for a great opportunity waiting for me
and this is what I am alwaysthinking of.
I'm optimistic, know that now Ihave that Like we live always
with our family, and I know thatsince I came to Canada I built
that support system.
I have great friends around me.
I share my knowledge withpeople.
(25:46):
I have LinkedIn newsletter.
I coach scientists and thenewsletter called Leadership,
love for Scientists.
So I share my knowledge.
I know that I built thatpersonal brand for myself.
So for the future, I just I domy best.
This is what I do in life.
I think of life as an exam.
(26:07):
So you prepare for the exam.
You think of the preparation,not the final mark.
So if you prepare very well,the marks at the end will come
naturally, but if you just thinkof what you are going to get as
your score and stuff, you willbe very stressed.
I prepare and I leaveeverything in God's hands and I
(26:30):
believe and I trust that I willbe, yeah, supported.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Rana, you're awesome.
I love listening to you, causeI think exactly the same way
it's like, and I love that youput it to homework I that's a
great way to define that.
Yeah, I get that.
Fortunately, in high school Ididn't really do my homework.
Now I do, though, anyway, so Ihave two final questions for you
(26:57):
that we ask most of our leaderimpact guests, cause we are a
leader impact dedicated toleaders having a lasting impact.
So, as you continue to movethrough your own journey, as it
is, have you considered what youwant your faith legacy to be
when you leave this world?
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Absolutely and in fact it's one of my I can say
guidance light throughout mylife.
So, as a female scientist froma minority from the Middle East,
I want to show the world thatwe have talents, we have
kindness, we can create positiveimpact, even though the world
(27:42):
sometimes looks like crazy,especially around us with
different wars, and I believethat we, with small positive
impact that we create, we will.
That will create ripple impact,Mm-hmm and ripple effect.
So what I want to leave after Iam gone from this life people
(28:07):
remember me with kindness,remember my knowledge, the
positive impact that I createdin their life.
I know that I had so manypeople who created the same in
my life and I want to continuethis journey and I try to even
for my kids, to teach them thatthis is my values and we need to
(28:30):
continue spreading peace andlove and compassion and empathy
as much as we can.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
That's awesome and what brings you the greatest joy
.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
To be honest, Lisa, I love seeing people around me
happy and have peace in mind,wherever they are Poor, rich, no
matter what, no matter wherethey are, just have peace in
mind and happy.
And that brings me a lot of joy.
(29:06):
And the second thing is, infact, I love learning, I love
helping others, I love my family, I love family values, I love
kindness, seeing people likedancing happy, and I had that
(29:27):
photo on my Facebook in Texas.
The start of the war in Syria.
Make music, not war.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Yeah, when I think of when you said people at peace
and kindness.
We judge people because we lookat their lives and think, oh,
that's so bad and they are sohappy.
You know if you go to it, ifthere's a developing country and
if you've traveled and you seeand they're happy.
You know they take theirchildren to work all day and
(30:00):
they're strapped to them.
How happy could a baby, a baby,be and a mom on mom is working
it like.
But we judge them.
We think, oh, I put my kid indaycare.
So that resonated with me onthat piece because it means so
much.
It can mean different thingsfor different people.
(30:21):
Absolutely yeah, did that comeall right.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, in fact, and this is where I said wherever
they are, Wherever they are.
Make music, not war.
When people talk about helpingrefugees by bringing them to
another country, I always sayplease help people, stay where
they are, happy where they are,because they love their own
environment.
(30:45):
No one likes to just be pulledaway of their own environment
and leave People, even they arepoor, poor and like in fact,
richness is all about our peacein mind.
It's not about how much moneywe have, and it's a long
(31:07):
conversation of what I'm goingto say.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Well, Rana, I want to thank you for taking the last
half hour to spend with us andtalk a little deeper about
pivotal moments.
And, you know, just sharingyour own stories and your own
moments and again, how totransition out or how to
recognize and move fasterbecause that's the important
part is good, or, you know, it'snot always good.
The defining moment isn'talways what you think it should
(31:36):
be.
So I thank you.
If anyone wants to reach out toor engage with you, what is the
best way to do that?
Speaker 1 (31:43):
I am present on LinkedIn and many social media,
but I prefer LinkedIn.
They can connect with me, textme.
I am always happy tocommunicate with people.
I connect with them.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
All right, well, thank you, rana, for joining us.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Thank you so much for inviting me.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
You're welcome, all right.
Well, if you're part of LeaderImpact, you can always discuss
or share this podcast with yourgroup.
And if you are not yet part ofLeader Impact and would like to
find out more and grow yourleadership, find our podcast
page on our website atleaderimpactca and check out our
free leadership assessment.
You will also find on ourwebpage chapter one of Braden
Douglas's book Becoming a Leaderof Impact.
(32:24):
You can also check out groupsavailable in Canada at
leaderimpactca or, if you'reagain, if you're listening from
anywhere else in the world,check out leaderimpactcom or get
in touch with us by email infoat leaderimpactca and we will
connect you.
And if you like this podcast,please leave us a comment, give
us a rating or review.
This will help other globalleaders find our podcast.
(32:45):
Thank you for engaging with usand remember Impact starts with
you.
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