from boy scout to microcredit pioneer_ five skills for changemakers - virgin
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
1/12
10/16/2014 From Boy Scout to microcredit pioneer: five skills for changemakers - Virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/from-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-ski lls- for-changemakers 1/12
From Boy Scout to microcredit
pioneer: five skills forchangemakers
By Ashoka
@ashoka
Tweet
72
6
764
Share
It is unlikely that the 15-year-old MohammadYunus, who visited North America on
a Boy Scout trip a half century ago, ever imagined returning 57 years later
to receivethe United States Congressional Gold Medal.
He was awarded such an accolade earlier this year because hes had a profound
influence on the way the world does business. So what can we learn from him?
Here are five things that social entrepreneurs and changemakers can take from his
life and work
131
Like
The importance of empathy:
Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings and perspectives of others, and to
use that understanding to guide ones actions. This skill is even more important in
our modern world where were exposed to so much new information, people and
places every day.
Yet, despite this, as Yunus found through his life we humans are the same more
than we are different. Empathy is key to making these human connections and
Leadership and Advocacy
http://www.virgin.com/http://www.virgin.com/unitehttp://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacyhttp://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacyhttp://www.virgin.com/http://www.virgin.com/unitehttp://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacyhttp://twitter.com/search?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virgin.com%2Funite%2Fleadership-and-advocacy%2Ffrom-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-skills-for-changemakershttp://twitter.com/ashokahttp://www.virgin.com/author/ashokahttp://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacyhttp://www.virgin.com/unitehttp://www.virgin.com/http://www.speaker.gov/video/us-congress-presents-gold-medal-professor-muhammad-yunushttps://www.ashoka.org/gamembershttp://twitter.com/ashokahttp://www.virgin.com/author/ashokahttp://twitter.com/search?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virgin.com%2Funite%2Fleadership-and-advocacy%2Ffrom-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-skills-for-changemakershttps://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virgin.com%2Funite%2Fleadership-and-advocacy%2Ffrom-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-skills-for-changemakers&text=From%20Boy%20Scout%20to%20microcredit%20pioneer%3A%20five%20skills%20for%20changemakers%20-%20Virgin.com%3A&tw_p=tweetbutton&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virgin.com%2Funite%2Fleadership-and-advocacy%2Ffrom-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-skills-for-changemakers%23.VD_Vku692nk.twitter&via=VirginUnite -
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
2/12
Connect with where you are:
A deep understanding of a particular place or culture gives a social entrepreneur
an almost spiritual association to their work.
Yunus spent his early childhood in the village of one of the poorest nations in the
-
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
3/12
10/16/2014 From Boy Scout to microcredit pioneer: five skills for changemakers - Virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/from-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-ski lls- for-changemakers 3/12
Step up to leadership:
Perhaps this is an obvious point, but what makes Yunus a truly exceptional social
entrepreneur is that he is a true leadera master craftsman whose work shifts
mindsets about the global fight against poverty. Not only has he carved out a path
for social business, but he offers guidance to those hoping to follow in his
footsteps. He is able to help us vision a positive future and help us find a path to
get there.
- Muhammad Yunus is an Ashoka Global Academy member.
- Thumnail image from One Young World facebook page.
world, but always remained loyal and rooted in his concern for the Bangladeshi
people.
For example, during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1972, he founded a citizens
committee, ran the Bangladesh Information Center, and published the Bangladesh
Newsletter alongside his role as assistant professor of economics at the Middle
Tennessee State University.
Think big:
Bill Drayton (Founder and CEO of Ashoka) famously said, Social Entrepreneurs are
not content to teach a man to fish.
They will not rest until they have revolutionised the fishing industry. Yunus desire
to alleviate poverty was and is on a structural level, through the development of
microcredit and microfinance. Poverty is not created by poor people; it is created
by failure of institutions. He convinced local banks to make loans to underserved
populations a systemic shake-up which could have a transformative impact on a
poor persons life. The Grameen Bank [LINK] he founded has now gone on to work
in areas from agriculture to communications.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151645070003053.1073741862.56777943052&type=3https://www.ashoka.org/academy -
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
4/12
10/16/2014 From Boy Scout to microcredit pioneer: five skills for changemakers - Virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/from-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-ski lls- for-changemakers 4/12
What other skills or beliefs do you think are important for social
entrepreneurs?
Comments
Tagsentrepreneur, ashoka, business tips & advice, business videos.
Discover
http://www.virgin.com/company/virgin-unitehttp://www.virgin.com/search?keywords=business%20videoshttp://www.virgin.com/search?keywords=business%20tips%20&%20advicehttp://www.virgin.com/search?keywords=ashokahttp://www.virgin.com/search?keywords=entrepreneur -
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
5/12
10/16/2014 From Boy Scout to microcredit pioneer: five skills for changemakers - Virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/from-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-ski lls- for-changemakers 5/12
Facebook social plugin
Add a comment...
Comment using...
Muntasir Rashid Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) 247 followers
When we 160 million Bangladeshi people are grateful to Dr Yunus and proud of him, currentillegal govt. of Bangladesh is trying to destroy Grameen Bank by forcing it into adopting a new
shareholder rule. They have forcefully removed Dr Yunus from the management post anddisgracing him frequently. You might want to cover that part in your next article and put somelight on this issue. It will help grow awareness and save Grameen Bank as well as millions ofpoor people whose only option is micro credit.
Reply Like 18 November 2013 at 12:474
Surjasikha Ganguli Works at Dean
I don't have anything more to add to the skill set of the social entrepreneur just want to share thisinformation, that is minimal I can do. To me the must skill is learn from your failures and nevergive up as there will be obstructions from all sides.
Reply Like 18 November 2013 at 09:35
Beth J Boeing Licensed Realtor Brokerat Beth Boeing Realtor Broker
Excellent...Yunus' award and the importance of empathy in social entrepreneurship!!
Reply Like 18 November 2013 at 08:40
Beth J Boeing Licensed Realtor Brokerat Beth Boeing Realtor Broker
Outstanding interview clip embedded in this! ;-)
Reply Like 18 November 2013 at 10:50
Moitree Rahman
Correction: The Liberation War was held in 1971 in Bangladesh, not in 1972.
Reply Like 18 November 2013 at 09:45
@VIRGINUNITE
MAKE A DONATION
http://twitter.com/virginunitehttp://www.facebook.com/virginunitehttp://twitter.com/virginunitehttp://twitter.com/virginunitehttp://www.linkedin.com/company/virgin-unitehttp://twitter.com/virginunitehttp://twitter.com/virginunitehttp://www.virgin.com/unite/donatehttp://www.virgin.com/unite/donatehttp://www.virgin.com/unite/donatehttp://www.virgin.com/unite/donatehttp://www.virgin.com/unite/donatehttp://www.virgin.com/unite/donatehttps://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Licensed-Realtor-Broker/652197594817436http://www.virgin.com/unite/donatehttp://www.linkedin.com/company/virgin-unitehttp://twitter.com/virginunitehttp://www.facebook.com/virginunitehttp://twitter.com/virginunitehttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Beth-Boeing-Realtor-Broker/1419538594973730https://www.facebook.com/pages/Licensed-Realtor-Broker/652197594817436https://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Beth-Boeing-Realtor-Broker/1419538594973730https://www.facebook.com/pages/Licensed-Realtor-Broker/652197594817436https://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/beth.boeinghttps://www.facebook.com/DeanHealthhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Universiti-Malaysia-Sarawak-UNIMAS/168312326554266https://www.facebook.com/md.muntasir.rashidhttps://www.facebook.com/md.muntasir.rashidhttps://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/?footer=1 -
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
6/12
10/16/2014 From Boy Scout to microcredit pioneer: five skills for changemakers - Virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/from-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-ski lls- for-changemakers 6/12
Get personalised content
recommendations based on yourFacebook Likes
Connect with Facebook
RT @OneFeedsTwo: Happy #WorldFoodDay! Here's a simple retail solution to sharing food -
youtube.com/watch?v=6V-bu8#OneFeedsTwo
Virgin Unite
@VirginUnite
Show Media
If you couldnt make it to #OYW, you can still watch the discussions live & join the conversation virg.in/FmOol
Virgin Unite
@VirginUnite
Young leaders are in Dublin to find solutions to our worlds big challenges virg.in/FmOol#OYWow.ly/i/7f4n8
Virgin Unite
@VirginUnite
26m
49m
1h
TweetsFollow
https://twitter.com/VirginUnitehttps://twitter.com/VirginUnite/status/522727044531388416https://twitter.com/VirginUnite/status/522742907061956608https://twitter.com/VirginUnite/status/522748781516062721https://twitter.com/VirginUnite/status/522748781516062721http://www.youtube.com/user/virginunitehttp://pinterest.com/virginunitehttps://plus.google.com/Virginhttp://instagram.com/virginunite -
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
7/12
10/16/2014 From Boy Scout to microcredit pioneer: five skills for changemakers - Virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/from-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-ski lls- for-changemakers 7/12
BUSINESS AS A
FORCE FOR
GOOD
LEARN ABOUT
OUR COOKIES
VIRGIN SUGGESTS
25 August 2014Ashoka
Back to School: 5 new ways tocreate Cha...
98Shares
18 August 2014
Ashoka
Do values and ethics limit thescope of ...
113Shares
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
http://www.virgin.com/unite/entrepreneurship/do-values-and-ethics-limit-the-scope-of-social-enterprisehttp://www.virgin.com/unite/entrepreneurship/back-to-school-5-new-ways-to-create-changemakershttp://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/in-focus-the-oceanhttp://www.virgin.com/unite/our-community/in-focus-rehabilitationhttp://www.virgin.com/unite/business-innovation/in-focus-drones-for-goodhttp://www.virgin.com/privacy-policy/#cookieshttp://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacyhttp://www.virgin.com/unite/business-innovationhttp://www.virgin.com/unite/business-innovation/screw-business-as-usual -
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
8/12
10/16/2014 From Boy Scout to microcredit pioneer: five skills for changemakers - Virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/from-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-ski lls- for-changemakers 8/12
8 September 2014
Ashoka
How to escape the corporate worldand li...
370Shares
6 October 2014
Ashoka
The future of social
entrepreneurship
24Shares
15 September 2014
Ashoka
Tips from a serial socialentrepreneur
178Shares
26 May 2014
Ashoka
The worlds first empathy museum
649Shares
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
http://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/mandelas-birthday-what-will-you-dohttp://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/mandelas-birthday-what-will-you-dohttp://www.virgin.com/unite/entrepreneurship/the-world%E2%80%99s-first-empathy-museumhttp://www.virgin.com/unite/entrepreneurship/tips-from-a-serial-social-entrepreneurhttp://www.virgin.com/unite/entrepreneurship/the-future-of-social-entrepreneurshiphttp://www.virgin.com/unite/entrepreneurship/how-to-escape-the-corporate-world-and-live-a-meaningful-life -
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
9/12
10/16/2014 From Boy Scout to microcredit pioneer: five skills for changemakers - Virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/from-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-ski lls- for-changemakers 9/12
POPULAR
18 July 2014
Caroline Sheffield
Mandela's birthday: what will youdo?
78Shares
28 July 2014
Ashoka
Sustainable Listening: Food is life
43Shares
30 September 2014
The Virgin Pledge on seamammals
1.3kShares
LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY
http://www.virgin.com/unite/take-action/ebola-delivering-hope-to-west-africahttp://www.virgin.com/unite/take-action/ebola-delivering-hope-to-west-africahttp://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/the-virgin-pledge-on-sea-mammalshttp://www.virgin.com/unite/entrepreneurship/sustainable-listening-food-is-lifehttp://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/mandelas-birthday-what-will-you-do -
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
10/12
10/16/2014 From Boy Scout to microcredit pioneer: five skills for changemakers - Virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/from-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-skills-for-changemakers 10/12
UNITE HOME
DONATE
OUR COMMUNITY
LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY
10 October 2014
Caroline Sheffield
Ebola: delivering hope to WestAfrica
2.2kShares
7 October 2014
Madeleine Lewis
Film: Keeping the whole worldsinging
4.7kShares
22 September 2014
How to stop the worlds poacherswith dr...
4.2kShares
TAKE ACTION
LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY
BUSINESS INNOVATION
http://www.virgin.com/unite/take-action/ebola-delivering-hope-to-west-africahttp://www.virgin.com/unite/business-innovation/how-to-stop-the-worlds-poachers-with-droneshttp://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/film-keeping-the-whole-world-singinghttp://www.virgin.com/unite/take-action/ebola-delivering-hope-to-west-africahttp://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacyhttp://www.virgin.com/unite/our-communityhttp://www.virgin.com/unite/donatehttp://www.virgin.com/unite -
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
11/12
10/16/2014 From Boy Scout to microcredit pioneer: five skills for changemakers - Virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/unite/leadership-and-advocacy/from-boy-scout-to-microcredit-pioneer-five-ski lls- for-changemakers 11/12
BUSINESS INNOVATION
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
TAKE ACTION
NEWS
EU Privacy Directive: Please read our privacy policyand terms & conditionsfor further details
UK Registered Charity Number 297540 - Owned and operated by the Virgin Foundation Company
2014
HOME
RICHARD
NEWS
UNITE
MUSIC
TRAVEL
ENTREPRENEUR
OUR STORY
DISRUPTORS
CAREERS
SITEMAP
TERMS & CONDITIONS
PRIVACY POLICY
CONTACT
Back to top
We use cookies on our websites to help us offer you the best online experience.
We've already placed some of these little packets of information on your browser
to do this. By continuing to use our website, you're agreeing to our use of cookies.
Alternatively, you can manage them in your browser settings.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT COOKIES
http://www.virgin.com/privacy-policy/#cookieshttp://www.virgin.com/privacy-policy/#cookieshttp://www.virgin.com/http://www.virgin.com/contact-ushttp://www.virgin.com/privacy-policyhttp://www.virgin.com/termshttp://www.virgin.com/sitemaphttp://www.virgin.com/careershttp://www.virgin.com/disruptorshttp://www.virgin.com/time-machinehttp://www.virgin.com/entrepreneurhttp://www.virgin.com/travelhttp://www.virgin.com/musichttp://www.virgin.com/unitehttp://www.virgin.com/newshttp://www.virgin.com/richard-bransonhttp://www.virgin.com/http://www.virgin.com/virgin-unite-termshttp://www.virgin.com/virgin-unite-privacy-policyhttp://www.virgin.com/unite/newshttp://www.virgin.com/unite/take-actionhttp://www.virgin.com/unite/entrepreneurshiphttp://www.virgin.com/unite/business-innovation -
8/10/2019 From Boy Scout to Microcredit Pioneer_ Five Skills for Changemakers - Virgin
12/12
10/16/2014 From Boy Scout to microcredit pioneer: five skills for changemakers - Virgin.com
INVESTOR INFORMATION
2014 virgin.com. All Rights Reserved.
COOKIE POLICY
Search virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/privacy-policy/#cookieshttp://www.virgin.com/privacy-policy/#cookieshttp://www.virgin.com/about-us