HIGH POINT, N.C., April 21, 2016 – Best-selling author, educator and entrepreneur Dr. Stedman Graham visited the campus of High Point University today to speak with students about personal development, identity and how to be successful.
Graham shared life lessons with business and communication students in the Michael L. and Laura M. Baur Institute for Executive Education in Cottrell Hall, the newest building on HPU’s campus.
“This is a real leader,” Graham said while motioning to HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein. “Your president is truly a leader. There’s a reason why he’s a powerful leader: He knows who he is.”
“The most important question anybody will ever ask you is this: Do you know who you are?” Graham said to the students in attendance. “When you don’t know who you are, what happens? You don’t know what to do. You’re confused about what you should be doing in your life.”
Graham told students of the risks involved with letting others define them.
“The world creates a race box and says, ‘You can’t make it because of the color of your skin.’ The world says, ‘You don’t know who you are, so I’m putting you in the women’s box.’ The world puts you in a family box and says, ‘You can’t make it because your family has never amounted to anything.’ The world puts you in these boxes and defines you by your community, your house, car, money, title, job, peers or religion.”
Through his discussion, students found insight on what it takes to be successful in life and shape their own future.
“Whoever defines you will define you as less than what you are,” he said. “You have to be able to take your power back. If you’re looking for freedom, you’ll never find it on the outside. Freedom is only on the inside.”
Graham also shared with students his nine steps to success in life:
- Know who you are and discover your identity.
- Create a vision to define meaningful goals.
- Develop a plan to reach those goals.
- Work hard, be honest, stay determined and keep a positive attitude.
- Take a leap and overcome your fears.
- Pilot your seasons of change.
- Build your dream team because you can’t make it by yourself.
- Win by decision and carefully consider the choices you make.
- Commit to your vision to transform from a follower to a leader.
“Stedman’s presentation was a reiteration of what I should do to be successful,” said HPU senior Makrand Bommidala. “You know these things instinctively because your professors, friends and family tell you all the time. He hit the point and told us steps we should do. If you don’t know who you are, you don’t have a definition for yourself. That needs to be filled. If you don’t fill that space yourself, someone else will.”
“Like Dr. Qubein always says, you become who you hang around and spend time with,” said graduate student Candace Tucker. “If you’re hanging around people who don’t want to grow and who don’t know who they are, you won’t either. It was eye opening to hear somebody who has been through what we’re going through now. Especially for me, since I’m about to graduate. Hearing ‘Don’t give up’ from someone successful encourages me to keep going.”
About Stedman Graham:
Graham is chairman and CEO of S. Graham & Associates, a Chicago-based management and marketing consulting firm that specializes in corporate and educational markets.
He delivers his identity message throughout the country and globally to corporations, professional associations, government and civic organizations, colleges and universities, and community groups.
Graham has authored 11 books, including two New York Times Best Sellers, “You Can Make It Happen: A Nine-Step Plan for Success” and “Teens Can Make It Happen: Nine Steps to Success.” His release in 2012, “Identity: Your Passport to Success,” was on the Wall Street Journal Best Seller list.
He served in the U.S. Army and played basketball professionally in the European League. Graham holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Hardin-Simmons University, a master’s degree in education from Ball State University, and an honorary doctorate in humanities from Coker College.