If anyone knows how to make things happen, it’s Zulfi Hussain MBE. From role-modelling disadvantaged youngsters, to championing cross-cultural working and bringing Eastern philosophies into coaching – no mission is impossible. Liz Hall discovers what’s on his bucket list

Zulfi Hussain is a man who makes the impossible possible. When someone says, “It can’t be done,” he replies, “There must be a way.”

Take his response to news of the Asian tsunami on Boxing Day, 2004. While most of us dabbed at our tears and gave donations, Hussain spent the Christmas period developing and setting up a non-profit web-based initiative to “get the stuff that was needed to the right place”.

He came up with the concept the day the tsunami happened. By New Year’s Day, the site had been designed, tested and launched, despite Hussain being told it would take three months. By day four of the campaign, a million pound donation had been received, prompting Hussain to launch not-for-profit organisation Global Promise, to handle such large donations. In six and a half years, it has helped to distribute £5 million worth of “stuff”.

Hussain, who is a co-founder of the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC) UK and a past chair, recently stepped into a full-time role heading up leadership/management development and volunteering programmes for BT’s Global Banking & Finance Markets. However, he still manages to own and run nine businesses, act as a non-executive on 12 boards, coach and mentor individuals, and to work tirelessly for charity.

In 2008 he was awarded an MBE for Services to Business and Services to Charity, one of a number of accolades under his belt.

Major challenges

Throughout his life he has faced challenges most of us could not imagine, and emerged with lessons learnt, head held high, a sense of humility and a desire to make a big difference.

There was the time he arrived in Bradford in the north of England from a small village in Pakistan aged 11, with no knowledge of English, the local culture and no formal learning. “This was a massive life-changing experience, a massive step which set in motion my magical journey of life.”

He had to deal with racial discrimination and endure a “rough and tough environment” at school. “It taught me a lesson about survival, and bloody-mindedness about doing well.”

His teachers told him his English wasn’t good enough for further education. It didn’t stop him.

He had plenty of family support. “My father said, ‘You’re not stupid, you’re not thick. Learn the language – education is the way out’. He inspired me to do the things I do. It would have been so easy for him to say ‘get yourself a job’. This happened a lot when you came from a working-class background.”

When he was 15 – not the easiest of ages when it comes to personal appearance – half his face became paralysed through Bell’s palsy. He took a long time to recover.

“I had lots of barriers to overcome, which has made me the person I am today. People ask me if I am bitter about the racism. Not really, because if I hadn’t had those life experiences, I wouldn’t be who I am. I have no regrets.”

Work inspiration

So what kind of person is Hussain? The word ‘positivity’ came up a lot when personal branding coach Jennifer Holloway asked 20 people who knew him (including those he’d only just met) to describe him. Other words and themes included ‘entrepreneur’, ‘philanthropist’, ‘making the impossible possible’ and ‘making a big difference’.

He spent two years designing and developing a programme for BT called Work Inspiration. It offers young people insight into the world of work and includes an element of mentoring. Hussain worked closely with education and business partners across the UK – a recurring theme in his work.

Hussain values education highly, “hence the coaching, mentoring and leadership development, which I think is vital for young people – they are the future”.

He was set an “impossibly high” target: that 3,000 people should complete Work Inspiration in two years. Yet, within the first financial year alone, some 3,653 young people had gone through it.

“It was a great way to get young people engaged in large blue-chip organisations. They came from backgrounds ranging from Eton public school to excluded pupils from Liverpool.”

It’s easy to feel sorry for those who have taken over the course from Hussain (their target is 4,000), until you discover that 1,800 had gone through the programme before he left last July.

Hussain’s commitment to charity has come about partly because of the values and principles he was exposed to at home. He was given pocket money and encouraged to spend a third, save a third and give a third to charity. “I always had that charitable thing installed in me. Being a Muslim, charity is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.”

Today, he tries to give away at least 20 per cent of his earnings.

Shine on

Hussain helps young people from socially excluded backgrounds who “don’t have the opportunities to shine through” compared to those who have tutors and good contacts. “I act as a role model. I say, ‘ I’m no brighter than you. I started out with disadvantages’.”

Hussain says BT has been “absolutely brilliant” about what some might see as distractions. “They give me flexibility as long as I meet my targets.”

In his new role at BT, Hussain has been given a “blank piece of paper”. He plans to include plenty of mentoring.

First, he wants to find out what is already taking place. He also expects to look at how people manage change, at values, at how to help create and sustain high-performing teams. Some of the people are high-flying, highly successful sales people striking deals worth “hundreds of thousands of pounds”.

Cultural literacy

Cross-cultural working is one of Hussain’s specialities and he sometimes does work with David Clutterbuck. “We’re very Euro-centric in the UK. It’s important to be culturally sensitive and literate.”

He is excited about the role technology can play in helping people gain access to coaching and mentoring, who would otherwise find costs prohibitive. Such technology might include Skype, MSN and audio-conferencing.

“Technology is bringing a whole new multifaceted way of doing coaching and mentoring,” he says.

“Nobody seems to be capitalising on it. But people are often cash-rich and time-poor and technology can make coaching and mentoring very time-efficient.”

Hussain co-authored Virtual Coach, Virtual Mentor with Clutterbuck and has also co-authored other books.

The future

His vision for the future of coaching and mentoring?

“Making the profession more professional. It’s still a bit Wild West. Looking at standards, accreditation, qualifications, embracing new technologies and becoming more culturally literate as we become a global village is the way forward.”

And for himself?

“What’s important to me is making a big difference and getting people to dream big and to follow their dreams. I get lots of satisfaction from helping others. The more you give, the more you receive.”

Hussain writes poetry and takes inspiration from Rumi and Omar Khayyam. He is also inspired by the teachings of the Dalai Lama and Gandhi. Richard Branson inspires him because of his flair and ability to spot opportunities.

He recently returned from Nepal where he took on the Everest Base Challenge, partly to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care, Help for Heroes and the National Autistic Society.

“It was a huge personal challenge for me, physically and mentally. It goes back to my personal ethos of setting difficult challenges and helping to make a difference.”

Time out

The challenge was about “taking time out to reflect, to slow down and be still”, setting him further along a voyage of discovery into how spirituality and coaching complement each other.

“John Whitmore started me on the route of looking at coaching and spirituality…Having just come back from Nepal, having seen close links between Hinduism and Buddhism – ancient wisdom for modern times – I am now trying to pull these strands together.

“I am hoping to introduce some of this [spirituality] into my new role. There are lots of people in high-powered jobs… How do we achieve more by doing less?

“I truly believe true peace comes from within and you have to get your ego out of the way.”

For Hussain, it is about a mix of Eastern and Western philosophies and teachings. In some ways, Hussain himself is an example of the best of the East meeting the best of the West.

Am I bitter about the racism? Not really, because if I hadn’t had those life experiences, I wouldn’t be who I am

Coaching at Work, Volume 7, Issue 1