Passion & Perseverance: Universal Tools for All Time
March 5, 2021
This post was written by Malala Raharisoa. During her time with Gii, Malala Raharisoa hopes to expand her perspective lens and contribute to efforts toward globalization. She is currently an MSBA candidate specializing in Economic Analysis; She hopes that with what she learns in the classroom along with a wide-ranging experience, she can make an impact that reaches the international community.
For the month of February, as part of the Global Impact Initiative’s 2021 Professional Development Workshop Series, we shared with you the secrets to success in a socially impactful career.
Perhaps these were never really secrets but in this month’s Passion & Perseverance: Universal Tools for All Time Workshop, guest speaker Hanaa Helmy shared how she used these tools to lead her story of many successes.
Hanaa Helmy is a social entrepreneur and the founder of the EFG Hermes Foundation in Cairo and the MOVE Foundation for Children with Cerebral Palsy. She has been recognized as a United Nations Global Compact SDG Pioneer and as an Ashoka Fellow for her work in social development.
Helmy started her career in computer programming and relocated to the United States. Soon after becoming supervisor after being a Junior Programmer for only three years, Helmy found interest in entrepreneurship. Looking into retail, she cultivated her interest by researching and developing the necessary skills to finally open a business selling children furniture. For the last 17 years, she has now dedicated her career to helping others succeed.
We highlight below some of Hanaa’s advice for persevering through an impactful career.
Passion for Consistent Improvement. The passion to continue to learn new things and develop more skills will go a long way. Hanaa tells us, “we are passionate about what we’re doing and we persevere to get it done.” To apply this, first find what you're passionate about. Then, research and develop the skills you would need to go after that passion and take action. These skills that you developed will help you through the challenges.
Overcoming Challenges and Persevering. With passion and perseverance, you can overcome any challenges. These key concepts will help you acclimate to new environments, remain flexible with your timeline and make the necessary adjustments to keep moving forward. For Hanaa, it helped her overcome any challenges that came with being a woman, a foreigner, and a mother.
Surrounding Yourself with a Good Team. Especially with people who have similar passions or are very supportive, working to your career goals will be much easier. Don’t hesitate to ask your peers for help either. Asking for help is important to upskilling and improvement.
Containing Frustration. It’s easy to get caught up in how things can get difficult. It is important to be adaptable and ready to add to or even change your passions with the right timing and circumstances. You’re climbing a tree, not a ladder.
Staying Passionate. Do something you like to do and this will help maintain that passion. For Hanaa, her job is her hobby and her hobby is her job.
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