Dare to Know: Saadia Zahidi Turns a Career Into a Calling

So you want to make a difference, huh? You could start a viral YouTube campaign. You could befriend a celebrity or public figure. Or you could study hard, work your way up through a field such as economics or finance, and then parlay your influence into the pursuit of social good.

For Saadia Zahidi, Senior Director of the World Economic Forum, a background in economics was a necessary stepping stone to a more fulfilling role with the Global Gender Gap. “I’ve always wanted to work toward some form of public service,” Saadia explains, “but I’ve found that if you go directly into those fields, you tend to not be as effective as if you learn another set of skills and bring those to the social responsibility atmosphere.” So Saadia came at her dream career from a different angle. “Once you’ve built up a certain amount of credibility and know the basic tools of your subject area, you can start applying those tools to your passion,” she explains of the trajectory that led her from dissecting the financial crisis to promoting women's rights and leadership worldwide.

Saadia applies the same seeking attitude that has allowed her to craft a personally satisfying career to her work with the Global Gender Gap. “I always say, ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained,’” she cites, further clarifying, “If you don’t take that risk, if you don’t innovate, if you don’t try, if you don’t ask—you will never have that answer, that opportunity, whatever it is that you’re looking for.” While the stakes are high for a leader at Saadia’s level, she refuses to let the abstract threat of failure hold her – or the women she represents – back. “What’s the worst that will happen? You don’t gain what you’re after? Fine,” she shrugs, clearly undaunted by the possibility. “But it’s better to have tried and not succeeded than not to have tried at all.” Now that's an economic analysis we can get behind.

—Emma Aubry Roberts

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Through the Women Leaders and Gender Parity Program, the World Economic Forum is committed to promoting women’s leadership and closing global gender gaps. The program strives to increase the participation of women in the Forum’s activities by ensuring their involvement as members in communities and inviting women leaders to be active contributors to the global dialogue. For more information on the related issues and upcoming events, visit the Forum's website.