Young and Profiting (YAP) with Hala Taha

Dr. Rajiv J. Shah: Leading in Times of Crisis. Navigating Ebola, COVID, and the Haitian Earthquake Emergency | E271

Feb 5, 2024

Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, former Administrator of USAID, shares insights on leadership playbook for success, navigating and avoiding the aspiration trap, importance of strategic 'scorecard', building trust through effective delegation, leveraging entrepreneurial skills for charitable endeavors, and creating large-scale change.

01:03:03

Episode guests

Rajiv J. Shah

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Anyone can make a difference in the world by betting on themselves and asking simple questions to bring about large-scale change.

Challenging negative beliefs and tapping into our humanity can help us overcome the aspiration trap and solve societal issues.

Building trust, embracing collaboration, and forming partnerships are essential for achieving large-scale goals and creating transformative action.

Deep dives

The Power of Betting on Yourself

In this podcast episode, Dr. Rajiv Shah discusses the importance of betting on oneself to bring about big change. He emphasizes that anyone can make a difference in the world, regardless of their background or resources. Dr. Shah shares examples of how simple questions and innovative solutions can lead to large-scale change, citing his experience with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's efforts to provide vaccines to developing countries. He also highlights the role of technology and connectivity in empowering individuals to create positive change in their communities.

Introduction

2min

Pursuing Moon Shots and Taking Calculated Risks for Large-Scale Change

2min

The Power of Individuals to Make a Difference

15min

Facing a humanitarian catastrophe and taking charge

6min

Reflections on Response to the Haiti Earthquake

5min

Creative Problem Solving in the Ebola Crisis

17min

Sponsor Ads and Aligning Social Causes with Entrepreneurship

4min

The Importance of Purpose-Driven Business

10min

Raised by Indian immigrants outside of Detroit, Michigan, Rajiv Shah had no idea that he would end up becoming a global impact leader. Shah’s desire for actionable change led him all the way to the White House to serve as the 16th Administrator of USAID. In this episode, he will share insights from his newest book Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Occurs, and he will unpack how to instill the Big Bet mindset into our own businesses and organizations.

Dr. Rajiv J. Shah is an American physician, economist and executive. He is the president of the Rockefeller Foundation and a former government official and health economist. Shah served the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as Deputy Director of Policy and Finance and Chief Economist, and was responsible for raising more than $5 billion for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). He served as the 16th Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2010 to 2015. Shah is also the author of the book Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Occurs, which was released by Simon Element on October 10, 2023.

In this episode, Hala and Dr. Shah will discuss:

- Unpacking the leadership playbook for success

- Navigating and avoiding the aspiration trap

- Harnessing the power of simple yet impactful questions

- Importance of having a strategic "scorecard" for tracking progress

- Building trust through effective delegation

- Leveraging entrepreneurial skills for charitable endeavors

- Creating a “big bet” mindset

- And other topics…

Dr. Rajiv J. Shah is an American physician, economist and executive. He is the president of the Rockefeller Foundation and a former government official and health economist. In 2009, he was appointed USAID Administrator by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He led the U.S. response to the Haiti earthquake and the West African Ebola outbreak, served on the National Security Council, and elevated the role of development as part of our nation’s foreign policy.

Prior to his appointment at USAID, Shah served as Chief Scientist and Undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics at the United States Department of Agriculture where he created the National Institute for Food and Agriculture. Shah founded Latitude Capital, a private equity firm focused on power and infrastructure projects in Africa and Asia and served as a Distinguished Fellow in Residence at Georgetown University.

Resources Mentioned:

Dr. Shah’s Website: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/profile/rajiv-shah/

Dr. Shah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrajivjshah/

Dr. Shah’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drrajivjshah

Dr. Shah’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/rajshah

Dr. Shah’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrRajivJShah

Dr. Shah’s Book, Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Occurs: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Bets-Large-Scale-Change-Happens/dp/1668004380

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