Leadership and Adversity: Profile of Jack Canfield
Mega Best Selling Author and CEO, Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises, Inc.

By: Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D.

This article offers an insight into groundbreaking proven research into how to overcome adversity and how to become a successful leader which is well researched and fully documented in my new book “Leadership and Adversity: The Shaping of Prominent Leaders.” This new Leadership book has received extensive endorsements and enthusiastic reviews from well-known prominent business, political, and academic leaders, best-selling authors, and leading scholars who either participated in the study or reviewed the research findings.

You will discover the proven success habits and leadership secrets of people who, in spite of adversity, discrimination, abuse, or difficult or life threatening challenges shaped their own destiny to become successful, effective leaders.

The full results of this research are presented in the just published book, “Leadership and Adversity: The Shaping of Prominent Leaders,” by Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D., which is available on www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.de, and www.amazon.co.uk.

The nine initial prominent successful leaders, who’s stories are told and shared their secrets about how to overcome adversity were: Dr. Tony Bonanzino, U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (UT), Monzer Hourani, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye (HI), Dr. John Malone, Laurence Pino, U.S. Army Major General Sid Shachnow (Ret.), Dr. Blenda Wilson, and Zig Ziglar.

The data from the above nine research participants was materially augmented by seven other successful individuals who overcame adversity including: Jack Canfield, William Draper III, Mark Victor Hansen, J. Terrence Lanni, Angelo Mozilo, Dr. Nido Qubein, and Dr. John Sperling.

Additionally, five internationally known, highly respected Best-Selling authors, and major academic scholars offered their peer debriefing comments, reviews and their agreement with the findings of my research findings including: Dr. Ken Blanchard, Dr. John Kotter, Professor Jim Kouzes, Dr. Paul Stoltz, and Dr. Meg Wheatley.

This is a short biography of one of the prominent leaders principal participants for my Leadership and Adversity research who generously contributed their time and insights into the phenomenon of how individuals can successfully overcome adversity and obstacles and even go on to become prominent successful leaders. This is Jack Canfield’s story of overcoming adversity and becoming a prominent thought leader.

I interviewed Jack Canfield, co-author of over 100 “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series of books, which have sold well over 100 million books, which is Guiness World Record. In addition to being a best selling author he is a well-known speaker on self-esteem, motivation, and success. Jack suffered adversity as child with an “abusive father and an alcoholic mother.” Canfield grew up poor “living at my grandmothers primarily . . . in a converted wash room.” In spite of his humble beginnings, Jack Canfield later went to Harvard University on a scholarship, graduating with a majoring in Chinese History.

Jack and his co-author, Mark Victor Hansen, before they started writing the record breaking “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series, they wrote several other books together, “The Aladdin Factor” and “Dare to Win” Hansen and Canfield (1994) started off their personal growth book with the first chapter entitled “Problems are Opportunities in Disguise,” they commented that “problems are assets” (p. 2).
Jack, in our interview discussing Leadership and Adversity, shared his belief in the importance of overcoming adversity “which forces you grow, to gain wisdom, to become more compassionate, all of which helps make you to a better and stronger leader.”

Canfield confirmed that he felt that “God sends adversities and challenges to us to help us grow.” Jack expressed that “having a belief in God, or a Higher Power, is necessary and helpful, as it gives a sense that you are not alone. It let you know that as a source of guidance is available in times of adversity, or when you are facing challenges.”

I invite my article readers, looking to be uplifted and touched reading a copy of Jack’s The Success Principles, or one of over 100 Chicken Soup for the Soul books, The Aladdin Factor, or Dare to Win, all by Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield.

Copyright 2008 ©Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D.

Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D.
Chief Enlightenment Officer
The Leadership Success Institute
Author: “Leadership and Adversity: The Shaping of Prominent Leaders”
Publisher: VDM Verlag Dr Müller AG & CoKG ISBN 978-3-639-09841-9
[Now available on www.Amazon.com]

Website: www.TheLeadershipSuccessInstitute.com