Sharif
Khan’s In Search Of
Entrepreneur Heroes Interview
Sharif Khan is a
professional speaker, writer, coach, and author of Psychology of
the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the Hero
within and developing people’s leadership potential. Based on
over ten years research in human development and leadership,
Sharif provides inspirational keynotes and leadership
development workshops that empower audiences to unleash their
inner hero to live their highest life.
He has spoken to a
wide-range of audiences including executives, entrepreneurs,
educators, students, and was recently mentioned in USA Today.
His vision is to inspire the world and make a positive
difference in people’s lives; to help create a global culture of
heroes and responsible citizens dedicated to promoting peace and
prosperity in the world. For more information visit
Sharif Khan Hero Soul Website.
Ralph Zuranski:
What is your definition of heroism?
Sharif Khan:
It stems from the original word ‘hero’ which comes from the
Greek roots servos and Heros, which means to
serve and protect. So self-sacrifice for the higher good and
betterment of humanity is at the heart of being a hero. And what
that implies is that the seeds of greatness lie within us all
because we all have that innate capacity to serve.
Sharif Khan:
Martin Luther King said it best: “Everyone can be great, because
anyone can serve. You don’t have to have college degree to
serve. You don’t even have to make your subject and verb agree
to serve…You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated
by love.”
Ralph Zuranski:
Did you ever create a secret hero in your mind that helped you
deal with life’s difficulties?
Sharif Khan:
Very interesting question. I have a Council of Light or
imaginary team of heroes if you will. I got the concept from
Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich, where he
talks about creating a team of heroes in your mind, where you go
deep within your mind and choose your greatest heroes to sit on
your round table and council you. I actually go to a secret
place in my mind in meditation where I have a council of these
people.
Sharif Khan:
Some include greats like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela,
Gandhi, Sinatra, Jodie foster, Oprah, Einstein, and an eclectic
mix that changes from time to time. I actually talk to them in
my dreams and imagination and they give me answers encouragement
and advice. It may sound strange, but that’s how I’ve developed
my own ‘wisdom council’ if you will.
Ralph Zuranski:
What were or are the qualities and attributes of your secret
heroes?
Sharif Khan:
They had a dream, they were determined, and knew exactly what
they wanted and they had a larger than life vision. They went
out there with courage and did what they wanted to do and didn’t
take “no” from anybody and were able to accomplish their dreams;
and so I look up to these role models knowing if they can do it,
I can do it.
Ralph Zuranski:
What is your perspective on goodness, ethics and moral behavior?
Sharif Khan:
That’s a very important question. We need to be able to ask
ourselves, in business or in life, “Is it going to be a win-win
situation for everyone involved? Is it going to harm anyone?”
Sharif Khan:
If it’s going to harm other people or negatively influence and
impact other people around us then we should not pursue that
avenue.
Sharif Khan:
It simply comes down to: are we positively impacting other
people, are we making a difference, and is it in line with our
vision. A lot of people yield to the greed factor and try taking
short cuts for immediate gain without consideration of others
which leads to lots of problems.
Ralph Zuranski:
What principles are you willing to sacrifice your life for?
Sharif Khan:
FREEDOM! Freedom is worth sacrificing my life for. Freedom to
live our dreams, freedom to imagine, to hope and prosper from
doing what we love doing, that is worth giving up our lives for.
Sharif Khan:
In North America, we do have economic freedom and political
freedom, but that is not normal. We are blessed and privileged
because more than half the world does not have the same
opportunities.
Ralph Zuranski:
Do you have a dream or vision that sets the course of your life?
Sharif Khan:
Absolutely. My vision is to inspire the world and make a
positive difference in peoples’ lives. To help create a global
culture of heroes and responsible citizens dedicated to
promoting peace and prosperity in the world.
Sharif Khan:
That is a vision that’s larger than life. It gets me going and
energizes me whether I’m having a good day or bad day; it gets
me up every morning and allows me to stretch and grow.
Ralph Zuranski:
Do you take a positive view of setbacks, misfortunes and
mistakes?
Sharif Khan:
Absolutely! I think it was Mr. Thomas Watson Sr., founder of
IBM, who said, “If you want to increase your success rate,
double your failure rate.” So failures and setbacks and mistakes
are stepping stones towards greater and greater success.
Sharif Khan:
We need to ask ourselves: “What can we learn from this
experience? How can we grow from this experience?” Because
nothing really is a failure; everything is a learning
experience.
Ralph Zuranski:
Are you an optimist?
Sharif Khan: I
am a perpetual optimist. I am always looking at the glass half
full versus half empty.
Ralph Zuranski:
Does it take courage to pursue new ideas?
Sharif Khan:
Yes it does. It takes a lot of courage because typically, in the
new development stage of an idea, people tend to bring us down
and want to put us at their own level. So having the courage to
succeed and not taking “no” for an answer and going beyond is
important. Including myself.
Sharif Khan:
Writing has been a passion of mine since I was probably 8 years
old, and people around me, especially in South Asian culture,
and even sometimes within my family, were admonishing me not to
be a ‘writer’ because I’d be a struggling artist all my life and
telling me “why don’t you be a doctor, or lawyer, or accountant,
or get an MBA, so you can make money.”
Sharif Khan:
It took me courage to say “no” this is what I’m passionate
about, this is what I love doing, and this is what I’m going to
do and I stuck to it. I disciplined myself to write two hours
every day and ten hours on the weekends (not including research)
and in a period of about two years, I had a finished book,
Psychology of the Hero Soul, which is an inspirational book and
awakening the hero within and developing people’s leadership
potential.
Ralph Zuranski:
Were you willing to experience discomfort in the pursuit of your
dream?
Sharif Khan:
Yes. That is something that is necessary because it takes a lot
of hard work and effort. Nothing really comes easy. Anything
worthy of great achievement requires hard work, effort,
persistence, and perseverance.
Sharif Khan:
Sometimes things don’t work out the way we expect, but if we let
those things bring us down then we’re not able to move forward.
For example, in the book publishing world, only 5 % are making
it, and 95% aren’t. The reason is the 95% give up within the
first year or two, and so it requires continual effort and
continual perseverance.
Ralph Zuranski:
How important is it to believe that your dreams will eventually
become reality?
Sharif Khan:
It is very important! I believe you have to taste and feel and
smell your dream as if it is a reality right now. I’m a big
believer in seeing the reality and the vision and dream right up
front, right now, the way it is. If you can’t visualize and see
the tears of triumph running down your face when you win that
award or get that promotion, nothing will happen.
Sharif Khan:
It doesn’t matter how many goals you set, or how many
affirmations you say till you’re blue in the face, if you don’t
have that feeling or that knowing that this is going to be a
reality, then nothing is going to happen.
Ralph Zuranski:
Everybody has doubts and fears. In fact a lot of people are
paralyzed by those doubts and fears. How are you able to
overcome your doubts and fears?
Sharif Khan:
One of the ways I’m able to overcome my doubts and fears is
using a technique which I learned from Tony Robbins, where I
conditioned myself to feel pain whenever doubts and fears
entered my mind.
Sharif Khan: I
put a rubber band around my wrist and every time I had a little
inkling of doubt or fear of the little voice saying, “Sharif you
can’t do this,” I just snapped that rubber band and it produced
pain. There are two things that motivate human behavior: the
desire to gain pleasure or the desire to avoid pain; the desire
to look good or avoid looking bad.
Sharif Khan:
Another way of overcoming my doubts and fears is having a vision
for myself of the future and where I expect to be. This would
actually be a really good exercise that anyone could do: on a
single sheet of paper in the present tense, write down where you
want to be ten years from now.
Sharif Khan:
What type of an income level would you want to be making? How
would you be perceived and treated? What type of clothing would
you be wearing? What type of lifestyle would you be living?
Write it all down and then start being that person right now.
Sharif Khan:
Start commanding that presence right now and you will attract
the circumstances and the people in your life to be able to
accomplish that vision. Those are the two ways that I overcome
my doubts and fears.
Ralph Zuranski:
Who helped give you the willpower to change things in your life
for the better?
Sharif Khan:
My father passed on a lot of wisdom and guidance and encouraged
me to study the lives of successful people and read successful
biographies. My father was a PhD. in Psychology. Ever since I
was 8 years old he immersed myself in the classics like James
Allen, Wayne Dyer, Shakti Gawain, Dale Carnegie, and all of
these personal development greats I started learning at a young
age. So he was an inspiration to me.
Sharif Khan:
Another person that was a real inspiration to me is a gentleman
by the name of Jim Ross, who I dedicated my book to. He is the
founder of the Canadian Academy of Method Acting, and he taught
me a lot about the psychology of the hero and psychology of the
villain. He was a mentor to me, a messenger, a carrier of truth.
He is definitely a hero in my life.
Ralph Zuranski:
How important is it to readily forgive those who upset, offend
and oppose you?
Sharif Khan:
It is absolutely critical to be able to forgive people that have
offended or harmed us in any way. It’s a very difficult thing to
do, but if we really think about it, harvesting the anger and
hatred inside against the other person is not doing anything for
that person.
Sharif Khan:
It’s only harming us and creating toxins and bad energies in our
bodies which is going to ruin our health. I think there was some
study where they said that even ten minutes of feeling angry had
enough toxins in the blood to kill a guinea pig.
Sharif Khan:
Can you imagine half an hour or an hour or many years of feeling
anger and hatred to somebody and what kind of damage that can do
to our health and mental well being? So it’s very important to
forgive others and be able to let go and move on.
Ralph Zuranski:
Do you experience service to others as a source of joy?
Sharif Khan:
Yes I do. I sincerely believe the hero’s journey is about
following one’s bliss and doing what one loves doing in service
to others. That is what really brings the most joy, and that is
what really brings the most success as well, because the only
way to get what we want is by helping enough people get what
they want first.
Sharif Khan:
I’m a big believer in serving. If you want to increase your
wealth and influence by ten times, just ask yourself the
question, “How can I help ten times as many people as I am
helping right now?”
Ralph Zuranski:
Do you maintain your sense of humor in the face of serious
problems?
Sharif Khan: I
try to. Sometimes it’s very difficult when something
overwhelming occurs and it’s difficult to laugh in the face of
fear and obstacles, but I think it’s important for heroes and
leaders to not take themselves seriously; to take their work
seriously, but not take themselves seriously. Being able to
admit faults and weaknesses is what endears other people to
leaders. They can say “he’s one of us. That this person is one
of us and we can relate to this person.”
Ralph Zuranski:
Who are the HEROES in your life?
Sharif Khan:
My father was a hero. Jim Ross, who I dedicated my book, The
Hero Soul, has been a hero to me because he was a teacher and a
mentor, a messenger, a carrier of truth. I think the people out
there making a difference in peoples’ lives, teachers, coaches,
entrepreneurs; I think all those people who are serving people
or helping solve problems and showing people how to overcome
their own problems are the real heroes; and it’s unfortunate
that the media doesn’t pay enough attention, which is why I
really like your “In Search of Heroes Program” because it’s
really unique.
Ralph Zuranski:
Why are HEROES so important in the lives of young people?
Sharif Khan:
Heroes are so important in the lives of young people because
there are not a lot of role models out there. And some of the
role models give a very negative impression. So when we see
someone in movies or even in school, when we see gang leaders
who are profiting from criminal activity and wearing nice
clothes and driving a Mercedes, these people have a negative
influence on younger people.
Sharif Khan: I
think the younger people really need to see heroes and leaders
who are not only making a difference in peoples’ lives but also
prospering themselves so they can look to those people as
examples and follow in their pursuit. Our children and young
ones are going to be the future leaders of tomorrow. So it’s
very important to have the right heroes and the right leaders
impacting their lives.
Ralph Zuranski:
Who do you think are the HEROES today that are not getting the
recognition they deserve?
Sharif Khan:
As I mentioned before, many of the teachers, many of the
coaches, many people who are training and teaching young
entrepreneurs, these people are not getting the recognition they
deserve because we are all focused on the celebrities or the
actors or the sports heroes that we tend to forget our friends
and families and the people around us who are making a small
difference in people’s lives on a daily basis.
Ralph Zuranski:
How do people become heroes?
Sharif Khan:
That’s a very good question. To start, self knowledge is really
important. On the Greek temple of Apollo there is an inscription
that reads, “Know thyself, and you will know the gods and the
universe!”
Sharif Khan:
To know your strengths and weaknesses, your deepest desires and
your deepest fears, really being able to understand where you
begin and where you end and beyond.
Sharif Khan:
Self knowledge is so important because through self knowledge we
learn what it is that we really want to do, what our calling in
life is, what our blessings are. By pursuing those blessings, by
following our bliss, and doing what we love doing in service to
others, we automatically become heroes.
Ralph Zuranski:
Do you think heroes are located everywhere?
Sharif Khan:
Absolutely! Heroes are all around us. They are among our friends
and family and relatives.
Sharif Khan:
They’re in different parts of the world in different cities.
People are doing small random acts of kindness every single day.
And the media doesn’t go out and video tape them. So when we
pick up the newspaper we see all the tragedies and the harm and
wars that are going on around the world. But we don’t recognize
that heroes are all around us and we don’t have to look far.
Ralph Zuranski:
With all your world travels would you say that people in
different cultures look at heroes differently?
Sharif Khan: I
think so, because people have different connotations of what a
‘hero’ means. For example, in Australia they talk about cutting
down the ‘Tall Poppy,’ and so any one who gets to be too
‘heroic’ or too big on themselves, they like to cut down,
because they feel that person is trying to be too
self-indulging.
Sharif Khan:
People have very different attitudes as to what heroism is and
what a hero actually means and who they look up to as heroes.
It’s really interesting to see the different world views. I
don’t think they share necessarily the common elements because
of the different connotations they have about heroes.
Ralph Zuranski:
How does it feel to be recognized as a ‘hero’?
Sharif Khan:
It’s a really rewarding feeling. Coming from a stage in my life,
having grown up in Scarborough here in Ontario, Canada, where I
was suffering so much low self-esteem and feelings of
worthlessness that I never took any leadership roles at all in
school and in my young adulthood; to now come full-circle and be
respected as a ‘leader’ as a ‘hero’ training entrepreneurs,
executives, and educators and students alike on the qualities of
leadership and being a hero…it really is a very rewarding
feeling to be held in respect and esteem. Words can’t describe
it.
Ralph Zuranski:
Why do you think you were selected for this unique honor?
Sharif Khan: I
believe that early in life, because of the unique situations
that happened in my life, and the tragedies which I suffered, I
connected at a deeper level, at a spiritual level, and found out
at a very early age what my calling in life is. And my calling,
my purpose, is to enrich the lives of as many people as I
possibly can, using my God-given talents, writing being the main
one.
Sharif Khan:
So I think I’ve been privileged because I saw my calling at an
early age, and I took action and decided to pursue my calling
regardless of what others were saying around me.
Ralph Zuranski:
How will being recognized as a HERO change your life?
Sharif Khan:
It already has changed my life. I know if I were to pass away
right now, that I have already done something that will leave a
lasting legacy and a gift to humanity with the work that I’ve
already done. And it gives me a great sense of peace. And what
really gets me going, the drive, is thinking what will be
written on my epitaph when I die, how do I want to be
remembered.
Sharif Khan:
That’s what allows me to want to serve as best I can using my
God-given abilities to help as many people as I can within the
shortest time frame that’s left because life is really fragile.
Life is so short. I heard about Cory Rudl (world-renowned
internet marketing expert) who recently passed away in a car
accident, I think he was racing with a buddy, he was such an
inspiration teaching people about the internet. Life is really
fragile and short and we need to make the most of it right now.
Ralph Zuranski:
Do you have any good solutions to the problems facing society,
especially racism, child and spousal abuse and violence among
young people?
Sharif Khan:
Our own image is reflected in every single human individual
around us. What we do to others we are actually doing to
ourselves. And if we mistreat somebody else, or if we call
somebody else names or harm somebody, we are actually harming
ourselves, because what goes around comes around and the law of
motion says, ‘for every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction.’
Sharif Khan:
If you want to be respected and treated with love and
compassion, then you need to treat other people with love and
compassion and respect – and you’ll get that back ten times
over.
Ralph Zuranski:
What do you think about the “In Search Of Heroes” Program and
its impact on youth, parents and business people?
Sharif Khan: I
think it’s the greatest thing Ralph! I’m so glad you were able
to find me on the web somehow. And when I took a look at your
“In search of Heroes Program” and what it’s doing for the youth,
as well as for promoting local heroes, and helping their
businesses, which will allow them to further give back to their
communities and further be mentors to the youth and students,
who in turn can learn more about writing and more about becoming
heroes; it’s a wonderful positive cycle that you’ve created and
I really admire what you’re doing and respect you. You are a
hero in your own right.
Ralph Zuranski:
What are the things parents can do that will help their children
realize they too can be HEROES and make a positive impact on the
lives of others?
Sharif Khan:
The #1 thing that parents can do is to be role models for their
children by living their own dreams and doing what it is that
they love doing; encouraging their children when they have
ideas, goals, and aspirations, and instead of putting them down
and saying it’s not realistic or that your vision is ‘too big,’
to actually encourage them, and give them hope and inspiration
and give them an avenue to go out there and do what they love
doing.
Ralph Zuranski:
If you had three wishes for your life and the world, that would
instantly come true, what would they be?
Sharif Khan:
My first wish would be to have people in the world live in
harmony and for people to find ways to be prosperous doing what
it is that they really love doing. I’d love to see a world where
we can actually accommodate that and help people to do what they
love doing and prosper.
Sharif Khan: I
see so many people and see so may youth out there who have all
these aspirations and dreams, but they’re not finding an outlet
to be able to live those dreams. And they are really perishing
inside. It’s so sad to see so many people who don’t find a
direction or calling in life and are thinking of committing
suicide. That is one wish: to see everyone living a prosperous
life doing what they love doing.
Sharif Khan:
My second wish, if there was a magic wand and it was a utopia,
to end the wars and famine and disease, and have a world where
there is just peace and love and respect for each other.
Sharif Khan:
And finally, my third wish would be to have a world with people
dedicated to EXCELLENCE. Because God is Excellence!
Sharif Khan:
Being the best of the best, holding ourselves to high standards
and to quality. We would really have a paradise on earth if were
committed to excellence – towards truth, and nobility, and
something grand.
Sharif Khan’s website for
his work in developing heroes is at
www.herosoul.com. He also has a success blog at
www.sharifkhan.blogspot.com. His book, The Hero Soul, is
available at Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Indigo
bookstores. To reach Sharif directly, call (416) 417-1259 or
email:
sharif@herosoul.com.
