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What Are the Essential Personality Characteristics of Social Entrepreneurs?
If you are a social entrepreneur or aspire to become one, you may wonder what personality characteristics will help you succeed in the fast-paced, emerging field of social entrepreneurship. After working with and observing numerous social entrepreneurs, the Social Sector Network team has identified 7 personality characteristics that we view as essential for social entrepreneurial success.
What is Social Entrepreneurship?
Before we start exploring specific characteristics of social entrepreneurs, let’s agree upon a high-level definition of social entrepreneurship. Although there are many definitions of social entrepreneurship, we propose the following one:
Social entrepreneurship is the process of developing innovative, new organizations to address social, cultural, and environmental problems.
– Social Sector Network
The key points to note in this definition are:
- Social entrepreneurship is a process.
- As with other forms of entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship revolves around new organizations.
- Social entrepreneurs must prioritize social, cultural, and/or environmental problems in their work.
Now that we have a working definition of social entrepreneurship, let’s take a look at the personalities of people practicing this unique entrepreneurial discipline.
7 Essential Characteristics of Social Entrepreneurs
1. Curiosity
Social entrepreneurs must nurture a sense of curiosity about people and the problems they face. The best social entrepreneurs seek to truly understand the needs and desires of the people they serve. Great social ventures often start through immersive market research, an empathy-centric process through which social entrepreneurs gain knowledge in the field.
Example: The founders of Shakti Apparel launched their venture after working with villagers in rural India and learning about their lifestyles.
2. Inspiration
In order to design effective solutions, social entrepreneurs must be inspired by the people and problems they encounter. Inspiration motivates action and helps social entrepreneurs tackle challenges that others shy away from addressing.
Example: When he learned that his blind friend had no way to tell time, the founder of Eone set out on a mission to design an effective solution to his friend’s problem.
3. Resourcefulness
In the world of social entrepreneurship, key resources, such as human and financial capital, can often be scarce. Successful social entrepreneurs know how to leverage the resources at their disposal and develop innovative methods to overcome obstacles.
Example: When he needed capital, the founder of Paka Apparel held an Alpaca petting zoo at a well-known restaurant/bar to raise early-stage funds for his venture.
4. Pragmatism
Changing the world takes time, effort, and experimentation. While visions for massive social change may provide their inspiration, experienced social entrepreneurs know that they need to take small steps in pursuit of their goals. Great social ventures are not born overnight!
Example: The founder of Be As You Wear is working to reform systems that put youth at risk by taking small steps, such as performing small-group education interventions and selling hoodies to fund her work.
5. Adaptability
Social entrepreneurs must remain open to solutions. This includes knowing when to pivot and change their strategies if their initial methods do not succeed. Adaptability and flexibility are integral in the development of early-stage social enterprises.
Example: Salty Girl initially was going to create a platform linking fisheries to chefs, but they pivoted to selling sustainable, traceable fish directly to consumers.
6. Openness to Collaboration
While embarking on a quest to change the world may feel lonely, it is important to remember that social entrepreneurship is a team sport, and other people are willing to help. Social entrepreneurs need to stay open and attentive to potential partnership and collaboration opportunities. In many cases, collaborative initiatives and joint-ventures can achieve social/business goals much more effectively than solo endeavors.
Example: Refugee Investment Network partnered with Village Capital to offer an investment-readiness tool designed for refugee entrepreneurs.
7. Persistance
Social entrepreneurs take on some of the most daunting challenges our society has to offer. This often creates a recipe for early-stage failures. However, the successful social entrepreneurs are the ones who persist past initial setbacks and persevere to deliver effective solutions. Experienced social entrepreneurs know how to learn from failures, adjust their methods, and make continual strategic improvements. Don’t give up if at first you don’t succeed!
Example: Kapamagogopa Incorporated (KI) overcomes obstacles to bring peace to communities in the Philippines.
Do You Have the Characteristics of a Social Entrepreneur?
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