Lessons from Malala Yousafzai for Entrepreneurs
Today we looked at some lessons entrepreneurs can learn from Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner in history.
Malala, who is only 24, was shot by the Taliban in 2012 for her educational activism on a school bus. Malala grew up in Pakistan and campaigned for education rights for women in the face of relentless pressure to quit. Following being shot, she recovered at a UK hospital and continued her education in England, earning a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Cambridge University in 2020.
T21 Group took a look at the lessons entrepreneurs can learn from this trailblazer.
1.) Have courage
Malala did not let the threats to her life hinder stop her from from staying focused on her goals. In 2013 she said:
"The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died."
2.) Look at the bigger picture
Despite her international recognition now, Malala's views were not popular in her home country of Pakistan when she began campaigning. In the face of strong resistance, Malala highlighted the importance of education for children globally, looking beyond her doorstep at the bigger picture and calling for the end to the exploitation of children internationally.
3.) Remain dignified
For a lesson in poise and dignity, Malala demonstrates the perfect example. Whilst living in Pakistan under the Taliban regime, Malala wrote accounts and passed these to a BBC journalist who published them. She remained strong and resilient in her convictions in the face of immense pressure, an approach which has now earned respect from some of those who opposed her in Pakistan.
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T21 Group runs a range of training programmes on resilience and emotional intelligence to help teams and leaders in the corporate and education sectors develop their skills. To find out more and book your free consultation please email learnmore@t21group.com
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Thank you to Rebecca Eumorfopoulos, who is creating our social media posts and managing the communications of T21, for writing this post.