Iowa State University
Tahira K. Hira, Professor
Executive Assistant to the President tkhira@iastate.edu
Iowa State University
MemberUS President’s Advisory Council on Financial Litera cy www.eng.iastate.edu/tkhira
Tahira K. Hira, UW. November 12,09

Iowa State University
Background
• Long journey-east to west
– Schooling, professional life
– Role of Fulbright scholarship
– Family of birth and acquired families
– Global citizen
• My passion and beliefs
– Education for me & every one else
– Freedom of thought and action
– “Sky is the limit”
– Giving and forgiving
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Iowa State University
Neal Donald Walsch says ….
• Life Is not a process of discovery, life is a process of creation
• No condition is good or bad, all conditions are temporary, nothing stays same, nothing remains static, which way a thing changes depends on you.
Conversations with God: an uncommon dialogue.
Book 1. Neal Donald Walsch 1996
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Iowa State University
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Iowa State University
True Leaders in my observation
• Have integrity, are confident and passionate
• Care enough to make a difference
• Are able to deal with failure
• Take risks
• Have trust in others
• Can make change happen
• Take care of the weakest person in the system
• Are ladder builders, they are not ladder climbers
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Iowa State University
What does success look like for me?
• Being able to serve the organization you care for in all different ways
• My almamater recognizes your work
• My student becomes president of a large university
• My work is recognized at the highest level, and I am invited to Oval office
• I am content, at peace, sleep well at night
• I am fortunate to have someone to share good and bad of life with
Tahira K. Hira, UW. November 12,09
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Iowa State University
Power of the mind
As you think, so you are; as you continue to think, so you remain.”
(As You Think. Marc Allen, 1991. P45, The Classic Wisdom Collection
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Iowa State University
Audrey Hepburn’s beauty tips
• For attractive lips, speak words of kindness
• For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people
• For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry
• For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day
• For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone
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Iowa State University
Read, travel, keep learning
• Books:
– Harem from within
(Fatima Mernissi)
– When bad things happen to good people
(Harold Kushner)
– As You Think
. (Marc Allen)
– Conversations with God: an uncommon dialogue. Book 1. (Neal
Donald Walsh)
– Three feet from gold:
(Sharon Lechter)
• Radio –NPR: Speaking of Faith, This American Life
• Authors:
– Karen Armstrong
– Parker Palmer
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Iowa State University
Tahira K. Hira, UW. November 12,09

Iowa State University
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Iowa State University
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Iowa State University
A Historic Moment
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Tahira K. Hira, UW. November 12,09

Iowa State University
• My Background
• You in the new millennium
• Developing a philosophy of your own
• How to plan to be successful
• Past, present and future
• Living in a global environment
Tahira K. Hira, UW. November 12,09
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Iowa State University
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Iowa State University
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Iowa State University
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Tahira K. Hira, UW. November 12,09