Don’t stop pursuing your dreams, Jay Sidhu’s memoir urges

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Jay Sidhu would be the first to tell you he’s living the American dream. 

The chairman and CEO of Customers Bancorp and executive chairman of Customers Bank is a titan among Lehigh Valley bankers with a stellar reputation that extends well beyond this region. 

But in the early 1970s, when he applied to U.S. graduate schools after finishing college in India, he didn’t have enough money to pay for applications, let alone tuition. 

Wilkes University took a chance on Sidhu, and was rewarded in spades. Today, Wilkes is home to the Jay S. Sidhu School of Business and Leadership. 

Sidhu shares his incredible story in a recently published memoir, “Never Ever, Ever Give Up,” which reached No. 2 on The Wall Street Journal’s Bestselling Books list and was the top book on several Amazon lists. 

As a teenager, Sidhu backpacked with a friend from their homes in India across Afghanistan, Iran and Western Europe with only $100 between them — managing to make it to London and back to India. 

The purpose of the youths’ journey was to promote mutual understanding in the name of world peace. Along the way they were held up at knifepoint and spent a night in jail in Paris after being mistakenly arrested, but met many strangers who helped them, too. 

In addition to anecdotes like these, the autobiography includes Sidhu’s philosophy of business, which is basically his philosophy of life. 

Before his leadership was instrumental in taking Customers Bank from $250 million in assets to about $20 billion (achieving 2022 and 2023 rankings by Forbes on America’s Best Banks lists), Sidhu was CEO of Sovereign Bank, which he guided from a $12 million initial public offering value into the 17th largest bank in the nation. 

Sidhu said in a phone interview that he wants to reach half a million young people up to age 30 – starting in high school – with his message, through in-person appearances and podcasts. 

There isn’t enough emphasis on the human side of business, he said. Countless numbers of books exist on business practices, but that’s only part of the big picture. 

Leadership is a key factor in the equation, too, and that’s why the business school at Wilkes is the Sidhu School of Business and Leadership. 

“Think about someone you admire,” Sidhu said. Is it because of money? No. It’s because they’re authentic – a person who’s always there for you, who’s a good listener, who’s truthful. 

He said it’s important to manage expectations, to take realistic steps in fulfilling your dreams. Be persistent, do the right thing and just keep going. 

A major message in Sidhu’s book is that great leaders are also great humans, which can’t be stressed enough. 

Emotional intelligence, including the components of empathy and self-awareness, is just as important as business acumen. 

Giving back to the community is a huge part of leadership, too, he said, and “lots of people are willing to help.” 

Every cent of net revenue from “Never Ever, Ever Give Up” goes to charity and educational scholarships. 

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer