From Morocco to the American Dream: Special Education, Leadership and Family

Access Your Leadership with Hakim Lakhdar

Dr. Sidi M. Lakhdar (aka “Lakhdar,” “Papa” and “Grand-pere”) is a retired Professor of Special Education. Before retiring in 2019, he spent 44 years of his career developing and designing programs, as well as teaching and training teachers of special education in multiple languages and multiple countries around the world. He is a dedicated husband, grandfather and…father to my brother, Samir, and me. After taking a break for some summer travel, I decided that my father was the perfect guest to have on and feature in my return episode. In this episode, Dr. Lakhdar shares his amazing and inspiring story of growing up in Morocco and moving to the United States to further his education and build a life. What was it like to arrive in the States, not knowing the language, not really knowing anyone and with only a few dollars in your pocket? How did courage, confidence and honesty play a role in you finally setting your life in motion? What compelled you to pursue a career in academia, especially special education? Why was hard work and discipline so important in your success as a student and beyond? How did you overcome adversity in your early years and how has that shaped your philosophy as it relates to challenging times? Why did you move to the Middle East soon after your first child and when and why did you come back to the States? How have your values shaped your relationship with your wife, your children, your students and peers? Why did stigmas around students with disabilities leave such an impression on you? What was your vision for your family, future and career and how did that shape your decision-making? How did you end up working with governments in the Caribbean? Why have optimism and positivity been so important in your professional and personal journey? These questions are so thoughtfully answered and reflected on by this great man, who I am lucky enough to call my father. This was an incredibly special opportunity for me to share a bit of my father’s unique and special story and I hope you enjoy hearing it as much as I have over the years. Thanks, Papa. Je t’aime!
Feedback (I/we want to hear from you):

You can connect with Dr. Lakhdar on LinkedIn
Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [e-mail]

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.