Overcoming Adversities and Leadership: Dr. John Sperling story
Overcoming Adversity and Leadership: Dr. John Sperling story-
Executive Chairman of Apollo Group, Inc. (Parent of the
University of Phoenix)
By Howard Edward Haller, Ph. D.
This groundbreaking leadership research by has received
extensive endorsements and enthusiastic reviews from well-known
prominent business, political, and academic leaders who either
participated in the study or reviewed the research findings. You
will discover the proven success habits and secrets of people
who, in spite of difficult or life threatening challenges shaped
their own destiny to become successful, effective leaders. The
full results of this research will be presented in the upcoming
book by Dr. Howard Edward Haller titled "Leadership: View from
the Shoulders of Giants."
The nine initial prominent successful leaders who overcame
adversity that were interviewed included: Dr. Tony Bonanzino,
U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, Monzer Hourani, U.S. Senator Daniel
Inouye, Dr. John Malone, Larry Pino, U.S. Army Major General Sid
Shachnow, Dr. Blenda Wilson, and Zig Ziglar.
The data from the above nine research participants was
materially augmented by seven other successful leaders 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 and respected
leadership scholars offered their reviews of the leadership
research findings including: Dr. Ken Blanchard, Jim Kouzes, Dr.
John Kotter, Dr. Paul Stoltz, and Dr. Meg Wheatley.
I interviewed Dr. John Sperling at his home in San Francisco,
California. Dr. Sperling was the founder and initial Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer, of the Apollo Group, Inc., and is
now Executive Chairman and Director. This organization owns and
operates the University of Phoenix and other colleges.
John was born in poverty. As a child he suffered physical
injury, psychological trauma, and was raised in a home where his
parents were always fighting. Additionally, he was abused by his
derelict father. When John's father died when he was 15, John
was "very happy." He said of his father's death "it was the best
day of my life." John overcame adversity and impossible odds in
his business career.
Sperling's University of Phoenix was challenged on a number of
fronts because they were a "for-profit" University, which the
regulators believed was heresy, immoral and they thought should
be illegal. John battled every regulatory body that his vehement
enemies could launch against him, "including two regional
accrediting agencies, the state legislatures in both in
California and Arizona, the FBI, and various law enforcement
agencies, plus multiple civil and criminal law suits."
While the journey was difficult for John, the University of
Phoenix and the Apollo Group won all the battles, and disproved
the false charges, and was victorious on the law suits.
Sperling's life story is a true Horatio Algier story of going
from poverty, to being a billionaire.
He went from a semi-literate dyslexic kid, who barely graduated
from high school, to someone with a master's degree from U.C.
Berkley and a Ph. D. from Cambridge University. Notwithstanding
the "tragic adversity" in his youth, Sperling expressed that the
battles in his career and adult life were the most important.
Copyright 2006