FAHAD FAROOK

Today on the Buzz I feature a young man with an amazing talent to transform the way you feel and think. Fahad has an interesting twist to the way he does his training and coaching; there is fun and a lot of realisation to what you're capable of doing. Breaking the norm and challenging the system can sometimes make you realise what you mean to do for yourself and for others which is exactly what Fahad did. Today on the Buzz he speaks about his life with an honest and funny take on what keeps him rocking. And on a personal note, he is amazing in what he does.

WHAT MADE YOU GET INTO MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING?

I got into it quite by accident actually. I used to work as a news reader at a radio station until I got fired from the job. Afterwards, I worked at a publications company where I was really, really bad at my job and I was pretty certain they were going to ask me to leave. I saw an ad in the papers that was intriguing and I went for the interview at this company, they were a corporate training company. I had no clue that corporate trading existed, and to my surprise I got selected for the job. And from then on I discovered that I could speak for a living, inspire people while doing it and at the same time create some sort of perspective shift in their mind.

YOU ALSO WORK IN CORPORATE TRAINING, HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU FEEL IT IS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD?

Well, with corporate training, it’s about skill development, whether it’s a soft skill or a leadership skill. There’s no doubt that there are great benefits from skill development, however it’s only practical and impactful if it’s executed properly in the sense of not just being a random training programme, but more part of a larger scale development plan for the employee that involves competence in mapping, up-skilling and evaluations with a framework for growth also being provided.

WHO ARE YOU INSPIRED BY?

This might seem cheesy, but I am truly inspired by people I meet every day because everyone’s fighting some sort of battle we have no clue about and somehow most of us find ways to overcome those challenges and just bat on with our lives. We think we lead ordinary lives, but if we look at each of those challenges, they are extremely unique and extremely difficult and we all seem to find a way. In terms of inspiration, if you’re looking for famous names, there are two people who come to mind. One is Nikola

Tesla, only because he had such a unique and amazing mind and I think that he was such a great human being based on what I’ve read. The other was Muhammad Ali because he is the epitome of confidence and skill both mashed up together.

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUPPORT IN YOUR LIFE IN MAKING ALL THAT YOU DO A REALITY?

In terms of biggest support, it’s really difficult to pin it down to one person, but I think it’s really important to have a tiny circle and every person in this circle has to be supporting each other in whatever endeavours each of us is doing. If we look at a support system like that, I think then it’s pretty equally balanced. I can tell you a couple of friends of mine who have been there for me every step of the way right down to calling me out.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE FACED BY EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES?

I would say the biggest issue is assumption. There’s a lot of assumption going on by putting people into various boxes and demarcating them from both sides. Some of these assumptions might be true but what it does is it limits space for conversation; and I think communication is key to sorting out any issues.

I am truly inspired by people I meet every day because everyone’s fighting some sort of battle we have no clue about. Somehow most of us find ways to overcome those challenges”

● FULL NAME - Fahad Farook

● HOMETOWN - Colombo

● STATUS - Offline

● BIRTHDAY - 22nd May 1985 (Formerly National Heroes day!)

● PASSIONS - Changing perspectives and talking for a living

● FAVOURITE COLOURS - Anything flashy, but mostly red

Corporate training is about skill development, whether it’s a soft skill or a leadership skill. It’s only practical and impactful if it’s executed properly”