From Refugee To CEO: 5 Hard-Earned Skills That Helped Me Succeed

Forbes

25-07-2025

Hao Lam, entrepreneur, author, speaker, founder of Adaptively Education and Best in Class Education Center.
Behind every business is a story, and mine started long before I ever opened an education center.
When I escaped communist Vietnam and arrived in Canada as a refugee, I didn't speak the language and had very little to my name. What I did have was a fierce determination to rebuild. I put myself through school, moved to the United States, became a teacher and eventually built a national education franchise.
The journey came with a lot of twists and turns and taught me more than just how to grow a business—it taught me how to lead one. Success isn't just about having the right idea at the right time. It's about developing the mindset, skills and habits that carry you through the uncertainty that comes with every stage of growth.
Here are five hard-earned skills that shaped my journey from refugee to CEO—skills I often share with other entrepreneurs working to build a company grounded in purpose and growth.
1. Grit And Resilience: Keep Going, Especially When It's Hard
I wish I could tell you there's a stress-free path to success. There isn't.
You will be underestimated. You will frequently feel stretched thin. You'll need to find harmony between work and the other integral parts of your life. You'll face moments of self-doubt. Entrepreneurship, while a rewarding career path, is certainly not an easy one.
What enables entrepreneurs to build something lasting is the ability to keep moving forward when things get uncomfortable or uncertain.
Grit is about persistence, but resilience is about how you recover when something doesn't go as planned. I didn't get here because I avoided hard things—I got here because I faced them, got knocked down and kept showing up. Resilience is built every time you choose to keep going when quitting would be easier.
2. Vision With Execution: Don't Just Dream—Deliver
It's easy to get excited about the big picture. Entrepreneurs are full of ideas. But vision execution is where the real work begins.
The entrepreneurs I admire most are the ones who can see where they're going and also put a plan in place to get there. They don't just talk about growth—they map it, test it, revise it and make it real.
At my company, our growth wasn't accidental. It came from defining our 'why,' putting systems in place and ensuring our teams knew how to translate our vision into results, center by center and student by student, to achieve a collective win. If you're seeking sustainable growth, start with a clear vision and the operational discipline to carry it forward.
3. Connection-Centered Networking: Lead With Value, Grow With Others
In the early days of growing my business, I made it a point to show up to conferences, local events and networking groups—anywhere I could learn and connect. But I wasn't there just to hand out business cards or gain a referral. I came to ask good questions, offer insight where I could and build relationships that mattered.
The best networkers I know are subject matter experts who lead with generosity. They don't just ask, 'What can I get?' They ask, 'What can I offer?'
When you build relationships based on trust and shared values, referrals happen naturally. Those same relationships often lead to mentorships and meaningful peer accountability. Opportunities open up because people know you're showing up with intention, not ego.
4. Humble Leadership: Lead By Listening
One of the most underrated skills in entrepreneurship is humility. The moment someone assumes they know it all, growth stalls, especially when they become daunted by others who know more instead of learning from them. When I've been open to listening to other leaders, I've gained insights I might never have uncovered on my own.
Some of the best ideas we've implemented at Best in Class came from team members, franchisees and parents who saw something I didn't. Being the CEO doesn't mean I'm always right; it means I'm always responsible for building a better company for those we serve.
When we lead with vulnerability, invite honest feedback and create space for others to shine, we foster a culture of growth and success. This kind of leadership is foundational to a team that's engaged, resilient and rooted in shared values.
5. Accountability With Optimism: Know Where You're Headed, And Keep Believing It's Possible
Entrepreneurship is full of detours and unknowns. But as I discussed in my previous article, if you're clear about your defined goals, you can course-correct without losing momentum.
Setting SMART goals and reviewing them regularly—with mentors, my team and myself—has been instrumental in ensuring that my steps toward growth are intentional and never left to chance. At regular intervals, I ask myself, 'Am I moving toward the outcome I want or away from it?'
But alongside structure, you need optimism. Optimism isn't blind positivity but a grounded belief that your work matters and that growth is possible, even in tough times like economic uncertainty or the kind of disruption we all experienced during the pandemic. An optimistic mindset doesn't just inspire, it sustains. It keeps you moving forward, even when everything else tells you to stop.
Leadership Is Earned And Always In Progress
I didn't set out to become a CEO; I set out to survive. But in the process, I discovered that the same inner drive that helped me rebuild my life could help me build something meaningful for others.
Success doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't happen alone. It comes from cultivating the right habits, owning your story and growing through every challenge you face.
Whether you're launching your first venture or scaling your next one, focus on the skills that stand the test of time: grit, vision, connection, humility and accountability. These are more than traits—they're tools. And when you use them with intention, you'll create more than a business. You'll build a legacy.
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