All this talk about setting up social enterprises, I cannot help but wonder if I am really cut out for it. I am playing a key role in the setting up of this social enterprise for the education fund of the NGO, and it still is a dream of mine to set up my own social enterprise fashion boutique, but I have to be a little more realistic here. It is not all about what I WANT to do, it is about what I NEED to do and let's be honest, the need does not lie in opening a fashion boutique (although with a boutique I could provide employment opportunities and retail skills to a community of women who are in need of jobs!) While my dream of venturing into the fashion industry remains a sandcastle in the air, my dream of setting up a social enterprise is still in sight with the India post-trip social enterprise showcase.
Let's make a checklist and see if I as well as you or any other person aspiring to be a social changemaker fits the qualities of a social entrepreneur...
What makes a social entrepreneur?
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- Social Catalysts – They are visionaries who create fundamental social changes by reforming social systems and creating sustainable improvements. According to J.Gregory Dees, “though they may act locally, their actions have the potential to stimulate global improvements in their chosen arenas, whether that is education, health care, economic development, the environment, the arts, or any other social field.”
- Socially aware – Social improvement, as opposed to the creation of profit, should be the ultimate goal of the social entrepreneurs. The success of their endeavors is measured by their social impact, not by the amount of profits generated. (I question though, how accurately social impact can actually be measured without being subjective)
- Opportunity-seeking – They pursue their goals relentlessly, seeing every obstacle as an opportunity to develop and fine-tune their business models.
- Innovative – They are creative, willing to think outside the box and ready to apply ideas to new situations. They understand that not every innovation will be a success, and they see failures as learning opportunities even as they strive for success.
- Resourceful – Their visions are not limited by the resources that they have. Besides optimizing the use of existing resources, they actively expand their resource pool through collaboration with others.
- Accountable – Social entrepreneurs are accountable to their beneficiaries, and they often ask themselves, “Am I creating value for the people I am serving? Do I understand their needs?” This is because social entrepreneurs want to know that they are actually making an impact. They are also accountable to investors who want to know that their contributions are indeed stimulating social improvements as promised by the social entrepreneurs.
- Highly innovative – Well, of course, they are. But what's interesting is that out-of-the-box, creative thinking is a natural for them. They're always searching for new ways of doing things, and when something fails they..
- Have found a cause that inspires them – It might seem obvious, but each is fully committed to and believes in what they're doing. They may come at it from different experiences (something from one's childhood, maybe because of a chosen career path, or even a personal tragedy, that had happened... whatever it may be, each is passionate about their cause)
- Are persistent – They keep trying until it works. And, they never let road blocks, obstacles, or naysayers deter them. It's their can-do attitude that keeps them moving forward -- no matter what.
- Have boundless energy – I'm not sure if the work creates the energy or the energy keeps the work going. Probably a bit of both, but social entrepreneurs always have limitless amounts of energy!
- Are exceptionally collaborative – In every case, these social innovators are masters of seeking out partnerships that support the work they're doing, help spread the work, and make it sustainable.
- Visionary – There's not a gloomy Gus in this bunch. No matter how daunting the social problem (85% illiteracy in Afghanistan, one billion victims of mass violence) that some might call "hopeless", they see the possibility and the potential for change and are hopeful and optimistic about the future. - This relates back to an older post of mine, where in an interview with a Harvard Business School professor, he mentioned visionary as one of the key qualities of social entrepreneurs. Read the post here.
(Dees, 2009).
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"In How To Change The World, a book that The New York Times called a 'bible' in the field of social entrepreneurship, explains six qualities of successful social entrepreneurs; which are the willingness to:
Self-Correct
Share Credit
Break Free of Established Structures
Cross Disciplinary Boundaries
Work Quietly"
- David Bornstein
References
Dees, J.G. (2009, June 8). The meaning of social entrepreneurship. Retrieved on 4th January 2013, from http://www.caseatduke.org/documents/dees_sedef.pdf
Palmer, S. (2009, March 30). 6 qualities of successful social entrepreneurs. The center for social leadership. Retrieved on 4th January 2013, from http://www.thesocialleader.com/2009/03/6-qualities-successful-social-entrepreneurs/
Schreiber, L. (n.d.). The six qualities of successful social entrepreneurs. In What's Next. Retrieved on 4th January 2013, from http://www.whatsnext.com/content/six-qualities-successful-social-entrepreneurs
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