"The Biggest Barrier to Creating Change is not Giving Yourself Permission"

Dr. Bill Drayton (photo courtesy of Annie Escobar)

Courtney Montague is GVN Foundation's Executive Director and simultaneously completing her Master's Program as a Reynold's Fellow at New York University. We know that she'd never brag, so we'll do it for her! The Reynold's Fellowship is highly competitive where the final applicants are flown to New York for personalized interviews. Scholars come from all over the world and are involved in everything from engineering to drama and art. Once you get in the program, the magic happens. From spending time in developing countries learning about fertilization techniques to visiting the Supreme Court chambers and working alongside Harvard Fellows discussing current events, the program provides their students ample opportunity to gain footholds in the international development field. One such opportunity occurred just recently when The NYU Reynold's Program hosted Dr. Bill Drayton for a series of events. Dr. Bill Drayton is the founder of Ashoka, an organization whose mission is " to shape a global, entrepreneurial, competitive citizen sector: one that allows social entrepreneurs to thrive and enables the world’s citizens to think and act as changemakers." Courtney was able to interview Dr. Drayton and wanted to share some tips she received!

1.    The Biggest Barrier to Creating Change is Not Giving Yourself Permission

Our biggest barrier to creating change is actually ourselves.  Dr. Drayton advises, “All those people who tell you you can’t do things. Be polite; but ignore them.” So stop listening to the naysayers. Allow yourself to look at a problem, develop a large scale solution, implement that solution and then constantly refine it as you work to change the system. Give yourself permission to be great, and just go do it.

2.    Collaborative Entrepreneurship is Key

“We’ve learned (at Ashoka) how to create the most powerful force in the world- collaborative entrepreneurship.”

Five years after receiving an Ashoka Fellowship an average of 97% of Ashoka Fellows are still working on their project, 88% of their projects/organizations have been copied and 55% have changed government policy. These are extremely powerful people, correcting ineffective systems or simply creating new ones.  Dr. Drayton explained that when these visionaries work in teams they have an even greater exponential effect on changing a particular system.

3.    Learn it Young

Dr. Drayton also emphasized how incredibly important it is for children and young adults to learn that they can create change. Most, if not all, of Ashoka’s fellows started their changemaking path very early in life and can trace when their hunger for change first began. He noted how those experiences, at a young age, serve to enforce a person’s empathy, their confidence and helped to develop their changemaking skill set.  This idea forms the basis of Ashoka’s Youth Venture Program. A program designed to give young people an opportunity to implement their vision of change and learn the associated skills before the age of 20.

So the next time you are working with a youngster, whether they’re your student or your younger brother, try to create conditions whereby they can realize their power to change the world.

4.    Times are Changing and Everyone is a Changemaker

Dr. Drayton firmly believes that society’s traditional hierarchal structure, in which most of the world’s resources are concentrated in the hands of a few, is quickly disintegrating.  As information technologies shrink the boundaries between cultures and countries Dr. Drayton firmly believes that the world will soon be a much ‘flatter’ place (I mean he’s right- just look at Egypt). And those who cling to the old, hierarchal way of doing things will be lost along the way. He emphasizes the need for the world to change into a place where ‘everyone is allowed to be a changemaker.’  From businesses that allow each employee, from the janitor to the CEO, to voice their vision for the company’s future to a country’s democratic, government structure, Dr.  Drayton believe it is time we embrace every person’s voice.


To see more amazing photos from Annie Escobar, please visit her website, ListenIn Pictures and learn more about her desire to use photography to assist non-profits in spreading their message.