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Neil Khaund’s mission is advancing higher education through the global expansion of The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), where he is the President and CEO. He brings two decades of higher education and organizational growth experience to the table as he looks to expand the society’s influence. In this episode of Motivational Mondays, he shares his passion for higher ed and his hope for the future.
Neil grew up in the US but all of his extended family is in India. His grandfather is a respected historian whose books are in the Library of Congress. All of his aunts and uncles are teachers or professors. When Neil graduated from college, he chose a path in investment banking but a couple of years later, he ended up in education—and that’s where he’s been for the last two decades.
Neil is passionate about coaching and mentoring. His role at the NSLS allows him to fully embrace this at scale. He can build tools, solutions, and programs to help students find the best version of themselves.
Neil points out that there’s no shortage of information available in the world. The question isn’t where to learn, it’s how to filter what’s available to find what’s useful and applicable. He loves to read and enjoys gathering different perspectives from books. He recently read Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich and Satya Nadella’s Hit Refresh.
Neil is an ardent advocate for participating in mastermind groups. He’s currently part of a mastermind group with other executives and they’ve become very close. It’s a group of like-minded professionals that you can bounce ideas off of. Neil emphasizes that it’s crucial to find a mastermind group where you’re just as willing to give as you are to take.
Leveraging higher ed to remain hopeful in challenging times
Neil finds hope in the accessibility of education. He says, “When you look at any civilization over time, the common denominator of its progress is education.” Today, there are tools and formats to make education more engaging. This gives Neil hope. Education is moving fast and he believes that the more people continue to focus on education, the brighter the future will be.
One of Neil’s visions is to expand the NSLS globally and to open chapters in other parts of the world. He also hopes to provide a global connection to facilitate new viewpoints among students and universities. He notes that communicating with a potential associate or colleague from across the globe provides a perspective that you can’t read in a book.
Neil is passionate about Gen Z and believes they’re poised to be an influential generation. Listen to the whole episode to learn more about shaping the next generation of leaders.
Listen to the bonus episode to learn what is meant by “no man is an island” and who inspires Neil to keep going.
Resources:
Connect with Neil on LinkedIn
Check out Neil's latest book recommendations: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and Hit Refresh by Satya Nadella
Check out other Motivational Mondays episodes