From Village to Presidential Suite

My tamed ego was my friend and not my enemy, my wise advisor but not my dictator. Forgiveness, instead of retaliation, was my motto. Integrity and the highest ethical standards defeated, hands down, my detractors at the governing boards of any institution I served. My leveling with people, working together with them, and my honesty were invincible weapons and very difficult to resist or defeat. The realization on the part of the three university families I served, in Canada, the United States, and Lebanon, that I had a unique combination of genuine caring for people and a will of steel to defend the institution I was working for against any abuse, won me the people’s respect, not their fear, their genuine affection and trust. And this is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. My transformative tenures at SMU, LMU, and LAU were strengthened by their remarkable families. They believed in the mission of their respective universities, they pulled ranks together, and together they transformed them from ordinary colleges to major forces in higher education, and they did it with indomitable drive, exemplary grace, unique pride, and contagious passion.”
Dr Joseph Jabbra,
From Village to Presidential Suite: My Life’s Journey, 2022, pg 687, In Conclusions and Lessons learned, Beirut, Hachette Antoine.