An interview of Melkart Rouhan, the author of
Greatness is NOWhere
- What is your
education/career background?
Melkart: I held previous
positions such as Corporate Head of Learning & Development for Emaar
Hospitality Group and Armani Hotels & Resorts; Corporate Director of Global
Learning at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company; Public Speaker & Consultant for
The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center, Executive Director of Human Resources;
Manager of Human Resources & Leadership Development as well as Director of
Training and Organizational Effectiveness in the Ritz-Carlton international
arena and lead the opening countdowns for many of The Ritz-Carlton Hotels. I hold a Bachelor
of Science degree in Hotel and Tourism Management (NDU, Lebanon), Post Graduate
Diploma in International Hospitality Administration (University Cesar Ritz
UCCR, Switzerland) and a Master of Science Degree in International Hospitality
Management (UCCR & Manchester Metropolitan University, England MMU). My Master studies and thesis focused on
organizational effectiveness and transformational leadership.
- You book
title is intriguing, what’s it all about?
Melkart: The title ‘Greatness is NOWhere’
is playful indeed. How did you read it? Greatness is nowhere OR greatness is
NOW here? At first, we mostly see “nowhere” instead of “NOW here” because as
human beings, we are wired to exaggerate the negative because it helped us survive the dark ages. We
moved beyond those days though, but we still carry this ‘shredder.’
It steels our inner peace, rips out our energy, and robs us of our dreams and
aspirations. The book will inspire
you to make the shift from greatness is nowhere to greatness in now here…and
enable you to find the best version of yourself, your team, and your
organization.
- Who should
read Greatness is NOWhere and why?
Melkart: ‘Greatness is NOWhere’ is founded
on one simple truth: Every human being
is versed in greatness and leadership main purpose is to unveil the best in
others. Therefore, this book is for every one of
us, who is yearning for greatness. You might argue that you are not a leader.
Well, leadership is not a title and whether you like it or not, you are a
leader and in the business of serving a cause, something, or someone. Truth is,
greatness is not exclusive to athletes, famous people or great organizations
who have left their footprints in our world. Greatness concerns every one of
us. Greatness concerns you and me. And in my book, I share 3 principles, 15
truths, and 20 tools to jazz up your culture, pep up your people, spice up your
customer experience, and ultimately unleash greatness.
- What
inspired your story?
Melkart: I started this journey 10 years ago
when I took the decision to open
my own consulting firm, with the purpose to enable greatness in individual and
organizations. Those first years were startling! I sketched the map, assembled the tools, and
embarked on this ride of greatness. Truth be told, taking the first step was
like jumping off a cliff. At first my
philosophy of greatness was
frightening; then things settled down as the parachute opened. I admit that I
worked the parachute hard, but I owe all thankfulness and appreciation to those who believed in me and gave me the platform to
share my philosophy in the form of workshops, events, and keynotes. The book is indeed the byproduct of my 10 years roaming the world,
engaging with amazing people, spreading, refining, and redefining my philosophy
of greatness. It is because of these unique encounters that Greatness is
NOWhere came to life. It is true what the theologian, musician,
philosopher, and Nobel Prize-winning physician Albert Schweitzer once said: “In everyone's life, at some time, our inner
fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human
being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner
spirit.”
- What’s the
best writing advice you have ever received?
Melkart: “2 words: Start Writing!” That was the best advise… Due to my travel schedule, it was so hard to
find a routine or a writing ritual. I learned about authors best practices, but
none served the purpose… Here I am, flying from an event to another and
struggling to find the pace. And it was a simple advice from a friend that
flipped my reality. So, I started writing at the end of a day, started
writing after a speech, started writing after a training workshop, started
writing while on 40,000 feet en route to my next destination. Because of
this advice, the 65,000 words in my books Greatness is NOWhere, are
written literally in every corner of this world. I remember writing few pages
in Angola, Africa, continuing the chapter while on 40,000 feet flight en route
to Paris, to finally finish the chapter in Atlanta. “Start Writing”, because if
you don’t, your song might never see the light.
Buy at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned
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