Ideagen Radio
Ideagen Radio
Catalyze Impact Ep. 3 - Akhtar Badshah on Bridging Technology and Community Initiatives
Explore the inspiring journey of Akhtar Badshah, a visionary leader who bridges technology and social impact, in this episode of the Ideagen Global Catalyze Impact Podcast. From his early days as an architect in India to spearheading transformative corporate philanthropy at Microsoft, Akhtar shares the key principles that shaped his leadership, emphasizing purpose and meaningful relationships over transactions. His insights on cultivating a "Purpose Mindset" inspire leaders to align personal values with organizational goals, fostering authentic and impactful environments.
This episode highlights the power of purpose-driven leadership and initiatives like Unlimited Potential and Youth Spark, which empower underserved communities through technology and financial support. Akhtar also introduces the Catalytic Innovators Group, demonstrating how innovation and collaboration can drive societal change. With reflections on the vital role of education and partnerships, Akhtar encourages listeners to embrace authenticity, nurture meaningful connections, and amplify positive change through collaborative efforts.
#Ideagenglobal #CatalyzeImpact
Hear more episodes from the Catalyze Impact Podcast Series here: https://www.ideagenradio.com/
Learn more about Akhtar and his work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akhtar-badshah-6250105/
Buy "Purpose Mindset" Here: https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Mindset-Microsoft-Inspires-Employees/dp/1401603580
Welcome to the IdeaGen Global Podcast. Today, I have with me Akhtar Barcha, author and founder leader, game changer and good friend, akhtar welcome.
Speaker 2:Thank you very much, George. It's always fun to be with you and share thoughts and ideas. I just enjoy the intellectual stimulation you provide every time we chat.
Speaker 1:Well, akhtar, you're a good friend and you're just so inspiring and continue to be. I mean, I just every time I talk to you, you're just moving at warp speed and we talk about people changing the game and leading the way. That's you, and so, as as we prepare here for our global audience to hear more about you and your work, I'd love to hear from you what your career journey has been and how. How have you found yourself at this crucial and more important than ever intersection of technology and social impact?
Speaker 2:yeah. So I'm not sure that it's a journey that most people can want to emulate. I am an architect by training, grew up in India. Really, a great student Decided that architecture is the space that I could thrive in. I have both, you know. I like to do art, so my art behind me. I also have a bent for some aspects of technology, and architecture just became the right space for me to do this work.
Speaker 2:So I went and studied architecture in India, practiced architecture with some architects very well-known architects in the world at that time got admitted at MIT to do my master's, which I did, and I got asked by the dean to help him with a new master's program called Designing for Islamic Societies, which I then taught there for 10 years.
Speaker 2:And then I got asked by a couple of other people to help them with a non-profit focused on cities, a non-profit focused on cities, mega cities that had been funded by the un and the kellogg foundation, and I did that.
Speaker 2:I then jumped into another space because I was asked to support a effort around bridging the digital divide, which was in the early 2000s. So I kind of went on with that and we kind of did some amazing work very early on with the UN around bringing diaspora communities to support communities in their countries to adapt technology and really bring technology to the underserved community. I got asked to run Microsoft's corporate philanthropy, which I did for a decade, and now I'm really focused back into the education space at the business school, at the School for Public Policy and Governance, and I do work on leadership development around purpose and getting people to identify their purpose, articulate their purpose, live a life with purpose, written a book on it called Purpose Mindset, and I have a podcast which is called Living with Purpose. So my journey has literally only been possible because I just have a habit of saying yes, so, which then takes me into all sorts of different career paths and journeys, which is exciting.
Speaker 1:And so, akhtar, that's just. You're absolutely right. It's a non-traditional journey that you've taken, and certainly one that has been so just incredibly pivotal, and so I like the word pivotal for a lot of reasons. But what were some of the other pivotal moments in your career that shaped your approach, specifically to leadership and philanthropy?
Speaker 2:So when you talk about philanthropy, my wife joined Microsoft when we were on the East Coast and from there I was observing this company in the early 90s, where in the month of October these employees would get together and raise money for charitable causes, and that was kind of an alien concept for me and I always wondered what was going on. But when we moved to Seattle because of her job at Microsoft, I was in the town experiencing it and that's where it got me to realize that how different people from different parts of the world focus on, how they can show up for other people. It's not about giving back, but it is about acknowledgement and it is about actually saying I see you and therefore I want to be part of your journey and contribute to that journey. And that, to me, became very formative because there was this earthquake in India in 2000. And I started raising funds for that and I saw people from all walks of life show up.
Speaker 2:The custodian in my son's school gave him $100. There's an old lady that came up to my office and said all I can afford is five bucks, but here it is. But she came to my office and say all I can afford is five bucks, but here it is. But she came to my office, so that became this incredible way of looking at how different people get motivated to be part of a human circle, and to me, philanthropy is just that extension that brings people together to acknowledge that we see you. Even though we may not know you, we do see you.
Speaker 1:We do see you Love that, love that, and so, during your time at Microsoft, you mentioned Microsoft. During your time at Microsoft, you mentioned Microsoft Akhtar. What was the most? I know there were many, but what was the most impactful initiative you led, and why?
Speaker 2:So there are a couple of things that we did as a company that was trying to formulate its strategy. One of the first decisions we kind of made was to move away from a one-time support to an organization to building more of a relationship with an organization. That we didn't really need to spread wide but we could be somewhat wide because we are a global company but also go deep, and in doing so it is moved away from just giving money but creating relationships, and what it did was it allowed us to then bring a whole basket of tools that the company has to these organizations, which is not just money but it is about employees and their acumen and their time and their volunteerism. It is the advocacy that the company could do on behalf of that organization our acumen, our products, et cetera that could come. So you suddenly kind of think about this as moving away from a transactional effort we give you cash, you do it, you recognize us, we are done To a more purposeful effort, which is really a long-term relationship building and an engagement which again goes back to we now see you. So that's just a broader way of thinking about it.
Speaker 2:But how it unfolded was that we started, created these programs called unlimited potential and youth spark, where we worked with organizations all around the world that were bringing technology to the underserved community in different sectors and then provided them with both financial and technology support and employee support to actually implement it and to train people in all walks of life to be able to effectively use technology so they can either go and get further educated or they can create and start a business a small business or use it as a way to gain acumen and information so that they can farm better, they can get access to healthcare better, do more effective work. So these two programs, unlimited Potential and Youth Spark, became the anchors that we introduced at a global level so that in every country we were offering these programs to organizations that wanted to partner with us.
Speaker 1:That's so inspiring and so insightful, Akhtar, because it describes in detail the journey that you're on and the impact that you're making. And so that leads me to asking you about one of your favorite topics, which is the purpose mindset. In the purpose mindset, you discussed the importance of purpose-driven leadership. Whathtar does purpose driven leadership mean to you?
Speaker 2:so you know, our whole approach has been transactional. We learn, we study, we work hard so that we can get a career, maybe a car, maybe a house, a family, so that we can be happy. But the problem is that most of us are never happy because it is just a transactional way and our leadership is also focused on that. So every time you kind of hear, you hear leadership driving towards efficiency, but it's a transactional approach.
Speaker 2:Purposeful leadership, a purpose mindset, changes that. To first actually recognize who you are, why you exist, recognize who you are, why you exist, why have you been born, what are your unique characteristics, what are your strengths, what are your values, and then how you show up Is to drive effectiveness. And effectiveness actually then gets you to become much more, find more meaning in what you do, find more contentment with what you do, find more fulfillment in how you show up. And again, it is not about giving back. I don't believe in giving back. You only give if you've taken. So how do we actually think about showing up with authenticity, with our strengths and values? And purposeful leadership actually gets everybody to show up with authenticity, with their strengths and values, and drive towards collective effectiveness which is extending the common good. So that's really what I see as purposeful leadership to be.
Speaker 1:You know, I've always thought that's so powerful the purpose mindset and purposeful and purpose-driven leadership, the purpose mindset and purposeful and purpose-driven leadership. And now I ask you, Akhtar, so how can leaders take this notion of purpose-driven leadership and that specific mindset and drive it into their teams?
Speaker 2:So one of the things that we do with my work and my practice is we work with organizations and groups to actually create individuals to articulate the individual purpose statement what is your purpose? Write it down and we help people on that journey to craft a purpose statement. And then from that we actually create a collective purpose statement what is your group's purpose? And for many organizations we've kind of gone from there and crafted an organizational purpose statement. Most companies don't have a purpose statement. They have a mission and vision, values, but they don't really articulate their why. So we get organizations to articulate the why, but that's the same thing. We as individuals don't have our why.
Speaker 2:So first articulate your why and then get people to show up with their strengths and values. Now, in everything you do you're just not going to constantly just apply your strengths and values right, which is why a collective set of strengths and values become important. And then you see your connections between your strengths, your values, to the collective strengths and values and you keep strengthening it by doing your work. It by doing your work and effective managers and effective leaders kind of open those little opportunities and moments where we strengthen that. And once you do that then you find that those connections become stronger and then when the going gets tough, it doesn't break.
Speaker 2:It's not about alignment. You cannot have complete alignment between an individual purpose and an organizational purpose, between your strengths and a collective strengths, but you need to find those connections and what we get leaders to understand is the importance of those connections and the strengthening of those connections and getting everybody else to recognize that purpose does not just come from your work. Purpose comes from your life, all aspects of your life. It comes from you, it comes from your family, it comes from your community, it comes from your faith and it is how you show up on each of these journeys is what drives purpose, and work is just one element of that. So that's the individual understanding and a collective understanding that I want people to get out of this conversation.
Speaker 1:You know that's so powerful and what powerful advice and insight. Again, nocturne, because, as leaders look to you for guidance on how to be more purposeful and drive all of this key purpose driven leadership into their organizations. Understanding the why as you, I know, agree is so important, and so I'd like to shift gears a bit, because there's so much to cover and it's so powerful for the individuals, the millions that will hear and watch this across the planet. What motivated you, bakhtar, to create, develop catalytic innovators group, and what goals did you seek to achieve by doing this? And then, ultimately, how does this work? Ultimately, how does this work at the Catalytic Innovators Group, help individuals and organizations bridge that gap, that critical gap between innovation and impact.
Speaker 2:So when I left Microsoft and went into teaching, I kind of said that, look, I mean, there is all this. I think I was just being full of myself that I have all this knowledge and know-how that I can give, and I said I'm going to kind of do it in three ways. One I will consult with organizations and help them with the strategy, help them find effective ways in which they can actually, as an organization, show up, and so we kind of work with individuals or collective groups of individuals to help them do that, and then I will teach, so that I will actually be in the classroom and provide that insight to those that are going to come into the workforce. So that's really what became how I started showing up and what we do is a couple of things. One I mean I work with organizations, whether it's Microsoft or Starbucks, or you know organizations whether it's Microsoft or Starbucks or smaller companies, larger companies all over the world, where we actually work with teams and help them articulate their individual purpose and a collective purpose and figure out how those connections can be made. We work with nonprofit organizations, we work with government agencies, we work with educational institutions, and we do this all over the world. We've now had over 100 such consultancies that we've done in small forms, large forms and we continuously drive this effort to kind of get organizations and individuals to really find their purpose. And we do it through workshops and capacity building, trainings etc.
Speaker 2:We then also do individual retreats where we get individuals that want to get on this journey of articulating their purpose and then moving into bringing purpose into everything that they do. And we do these three-day retreats where people come. Sometimes they come as a collective with spouses or others, or others come individually and we kind of do it over three days. And then I have this podcast, which is Living With Purpose, where I kind of showcase how different people have shown up with purpose and what it means to them and to the work that they're doing. And we have now launched another book called Living With Purpose, where we are getting co-authors to sign up, where they are actually going to talk about their journey.
Speaker 2:So the goal is really to take my very simple workshop we have and get it out. We are now creating more online tools where people can articulate their purpose very simply without actually having to go through my workshop. My goal if I really want to see anything achieved at the end of the day, as I want every single individual in this world to have a crafted purpose statement so that once it is articulated, you can go back and see it and reflect on it and change it and maybe show up once in a while with it. And once you do that, you overcome this hesitancy and it starts becoming a habit and then you are moving from a transactional mindset into a purposeful mindset. And if all of us did that, the shift that you would see in humanity and the shift that you see in how we show up for life would have a dramatic effect on extending the common good for the world.
Speaker 1:That's just so true, and so you know, it's just profound to hear these insights, akhtar, and, quite frankly, inspiring. And so I'd like to shift gears just a bit, because you also have a role, a significant one, working with and in academic institutions, and so I'd like to ask you what role does and do academic institutions play in shaping future leaders for impact, philanthropy, etc.
Speaker 2:So I think institutions first of all. You know your formative years are in school, right? So what are you learning in school and how are you learning in school? So your teachers play a very formative role and if you ask anybody, they remember their teachers and the role that they played and really helping them shape, giving them encouragement, recognizing them. Shape, giving them encouragement, recognizing them, seeing them. Right, I see you. So institutions and academic institutions play that role where they see every individual and help them craft a journey of learning so that they can then show up in the world in the most effective way. Whether you become a business leader, whether you become a doctor, whether you become a scientist, whether you become an educator, whether you become a teacher, whether you become a teacher, whether you, you know, go out and do whatever you do, educational institutions are providing you with the skill sets, the knowledge, the critical thinking skills, but, more importantly, it is embodying in you the confidence to show up with your authenticity. Because the role I play is that I am making sure that I am seeing my students and I see them, I recognize them, I support them in their journey. So that's the role institutions play.
Speaker 2:Now, does that happen all the time? Probably not, because institutions can also become. And you know, our world is changing, our world of learning is changing, so everything is changing. But at the end of the day, technology cannot see you Individually, it sees you as a collective. So one has to remember that. You know people want to be seen. You want somebody walking past you to see you, not just walk past you and ignore you. You know, that's why when you go to Switzerland, I mean everybody on the street actually just greets each other. They say gretzky in german or french, and I know the smile and it's just one way for humans to say okay, I see you. I don't know you, but I see you.
Speaker 1:And that's what we need more of you know, bakhtar, that was your last word, because that's uh, you know I say inspiring, but it it doesn't capture it properly. Um, and so we'll turn the page here and say you've done so much, you continue to do so much. Um, I like to say you are unstoppable, octa, and I'd like to know do you have any updates for our global audience to understand, to get an insight into you, what is up next for you, and do you have a final call to action for our global audience? And let me add to that, how do folks find out more about you and your work?
Speaker 2:So I mean, I'm on LinkedIn. I mean you can find me, just Google me, you can find me. My website is purpose-mindsetorg. Check out our work there, sign up, become part of our journey. I mean, as I said, my journey. Now, literally, what's next up? I just want people to steal my stuff and go do it. I mean just go do it.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to be able to reach 8 billion people, but if everyone just took it and shared it with their family and did it with their colleagues and got people to shift their mindset and really talked about how to show up with authenticity and how to see everybody else, and then change will happen. It happens, small but it happens, and you've got to create this movement and my goal is to create this movement where everybody is living a life for purpose. You can still be a CEO. You can still be a businessman. You can still make money. Others can teach. You can do whatever. A businessman, you can still make money. Others can teach. You can do whatever you want to do. But if you do it with a sense of purpose, then the impact is not just for you, then the impact moves from the focus on the me to the we and the collective good, and that's really what drives humanity forward.
Speaker 1:Akhtar Badshah, changing the world every single day, cannot wait to see everything you're about to do and will do for the rest of your career. It's an honor and a privilege to be friends and thank you for all you're doing to change the world.
Speaker 2:Thank you very much, george, love what you do, and at some point we should actually get some of our materials onto your site so your audience can go get it.
Speaker 1:Let's go Done. We should do that. That's a great takeaway from today. All right, thank you, my friend.
Speaker 2:Thanks.