What are the most essential skills for social impact leaders?

Hey there! If you're aiming to make a real difference as a social impact leader, remember this: it's essential to have a vivid picture in your mind of the change you want to see. Think of it not just as a catchy phrase but as a tangible goal that resonates with those you're trying to help. And it's not just about being passionate; it's about knowing deep down why that change is crucial for the bigger picture. This clarity in vision and purpose? It's your secret sauce. It helps you share your story, light up a spark in others, and keep pushing forward, no matter the hurdles. Keep that in mind, and you'll be golden!

The foremost requirement for any leader, whether social impact or otherwise, is to be realistic and true to the reality. This for sure will make the leader take strong decisions unliked by many, but if the intent is clear, unbiased and in pure professional spirit, then the impact will be social, wide and humane. Personal motivation is for your personal time, when you are living as a leader, every act counts as a socially impacting step. You cannot and shouldnt expect people to live by your likes, dislikes or motivations. A leader is there to lead, not to rule. Treat the colleagues as your team, they will outsmart their own legacy. That's my lesson learnt so far! :)

In the realm of social impact, leaders must possess a unique set of skills to drive positive change effectively. Among the most crucial are: Vision and Purpose: Beyond mere buzzwords, a clear vision and purpose are the bedrock of impactful leadership. Vision involves well-defined, measurable goals that are aligned with stakeholder needs. Adaptability: Social issues are complex and dynamic, requiring leaders who can quickly adapt their strategies to evolving circumstances without losing sight of their core mission. Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential for conveying vision, garnering support, and facilitating collaboration across various stakeholders.

I personally believe vision and purpose without compassion is not possible. what I found most helpful in social impact was feeling compassion towards problems and issues to be able to find a solution. this solution needs to cover everyone impacted or that might get impacted.

Having a clear vision of the change you want to make entails knowing what kind of impact you want have, understanding the impact you currently have and how to manage for improvement over time. This means being clear about which SDGs you are contributing to .This may mean translating the vision into strategy by operationalizing into the business processes and assessing the progress . This process is also known as impact measurement and management -IMM. So an impact leader should steer and lead discussions that ensure the impact they want to have is specific, translated into strategy , embedded into business processes and measured.

If you're stepping into the world of social impact leadership, here's a golden nugget for you: Think of problems and solutions like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Every piece is connected, and you can't just focus on one without seeing how it fits into the whole picture. This 'big picture' thinking is called "systems thinking." It's like having X-ray vision that lets you see the deep roots of a challenge and the best points to make a change. Not just that, but it also helps you stay ready for any unexpected twists or turns, like surprise results from your actions. So, next time you're tackling a big challenge, remember to wear your systems thinking hat and look beyond the obvious!

As systems thinkers social impact leaders need to understand the interconnectedness of their work. For example an organization working towards zero hunger - SDG2, inevitably contributes to reduce poverty -SDG1 and good health and well being SDG3. By understanding the interconnectedness of the their impact , social impact leaders can effectively work to optimize synergies and minimize spillovers.

A visionary and well-articulated vision provides a destination, a future where positive change has been achieved. It inspires individuals and organizations in the social impact sphere, guiding them through the complex and challenging landscape of addressing pressing societal issues. Purpose, on the other hand, is the deep-rooted "why" behind every effort. Having a clear social purpose fuels the passion and determination needed to overcome obstacles and drive lasting change. Together, vision and purpose serve as a compass, steering social impact initiatives towards their goals and ensuring that every action is aligned with the greater mission of creating a more equitable and compassionate society

Even if the founding team well-formed their vision for the business, hence the system, the best trajectory will be first of all adaptable. On a daily basis. The founders set a roadmap, but life happens, you work with people coming from different cultures, and as long as I've seen, the most efficient business systems were the ones adapting all the time. For example, the need of persuading employees who come from ex soviet countries, if you're a Nordic European HQ: you set a system for the cross-functional team, but every member will bring their cultures to the table and usually this involves conflict of communication. This is where the effective leader comes in: solving issues through Communication, which is the #1 social skill.

Each arena of social change - health, economic inclusion, community development and more - requires systems-based strategy that goes beyond frameworks into action that delivers social outcomes that are openly created, reported, and pivot to deliver meaning for those we are here to serve.

Sometimes, vital collaborators aren't the top leaders, but those on the ground, the "frontline leaders." Unofficial leaders are crucial—listen to and collaborate with them. Engaging and involving communities in decision-making is vital for their development because when a nonprofit ends, the community remains. Strive to empower them so your role becomes unnecessary, letting them shine. Their perspectives are energizing; echo their feedback to top leaders. This collaborative approach ensures a lasting legacy of empowered communities steering their progress.

Social impact leaders use their "matrix imagination & power" to connect dots that many do not see - and they listen, and create new pathways that get durable, meaningful results. Those dots can only be seen when empathy, co-creation, listening and shared power are part of their leadership ethos and traits. The more these traits are incentivized and grown the better we will be as a community in growing the social change we aim to achieve.

When social impact leaders embrace the systems thinking approach they understand the power of synergy. They understand that sustainable development is the end goal and requires all hands on deck. They will actively seek opportunities to collaborate and co- create thus complementing efforts of other social impact leaders and optimize the outcome of their efforts.

Only leaders who have a high level of self-confidence allow others to collaborate and co-create using their resources! This sounds simple, but in practice is very difficult in cultures who are base success on community recognition. For them, its only success if "I" accomplished this myself, all by myself. For this reason it is important to not only build a sense of co-creation but co-ownership. This can be done with a system of recognition that is open and transparent that way people are able to co-create without having to worry too much about how they will be recognized for their efforts and rightfully so! So many organizations are looking for creative people who have extensive verifiable experience in the non-profit NGO field.

Here's why they matter: Building Trust and Legitimacy: Collaboration is not just about getting people on board; it's about building relationships rooted in trust. It involves authentic engagement, where stakeholders feel heard and their inputs valued. When leaders collaborate transparently, they gain legitimacy in the eyes of the communities they serve and partners they work with. Ownership and Investment: Co-creation ensures that solutions are not top-down impositions but collective creations. This sense of ownership often translates into a deeper commitment from stakeholders. Leveraging Collective Intelligence: Different stakeholders bring unique perspectives, expertise, and resources to the table.

If you're striving to be a champ in the social impact world, remember this: it's all about teamwork and creating together. Think of it like a potluck dinner. Everyone brings something unique to the table. Sometimes the dishes might clash, but when combined thoughtfully, they create a feast! By joining hands with diverse folks and really listening to their input when crafting solutions, you don't just earn their trust—you tap into a goldmine of ideas, resources, and experiences. And the best part? When things don't go as planned, these diverse insights can help you tweak and refine your approach. So, embrace collaboration and co-creation, and watch the magic unfold!

Community Work needs Great Adaption. Be their Saviour or as a Family. As per the times or arising situations, approach, strategy and delivery must be modified. Priority must be given to see that their routine lives are not disturbed. Learn and Innovate Ideas as per the Ground Situation.

Oren Harari once said 'The light bulb did not come from the continuous improvement of candles'. Social impact leaders are difference makers. Being a difference maker means adopting business unusual mindset. It means looking for disruptive ideas. Innovation and experimentation are the bedrock unleashing unconventional solutions and thus making an impact.

Empathy and humility are the cornerstones of effective social impact. Empathy fosters a deep understanding of the needs and experiences of those being served, guiding compassionate solutions. Humility reminds us that we don't have all the answers and encourages adaptability and collaboration. Together, they create a more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable approach to making a positive difference in society.

One way that could help social impact leaders develop empathy could be immersion experiences. If for example a social leader aims to eradicate poverty they could as an act of humility live in poor communities for a certain period of time. This would help them gain an intricate understanding how poor people live and create novel solution borne out of empathy resulting from lived experiences.

Leaders should never forget why they are doing what they are doing. Leaders should remember that the commitment they made working in this field is in the service of their cause, not in the service of their organization. When the service starts to be geared towards saving or growing or enhancing the cause driven organization the cause itself starts to be neglected. In doing this leaders lose the trust of their board, employees, volunteers, donors and other stakeholders.

My approach is 'win-win' - generating mutual exchange and benefit for all stakeholders. This empathy first approach allows us to understand the diverse perspectives and experiences of those we seek to serve, fostering genuine connections and meaningful relationships. Essential ‘win-win’ ingredients: listen with intention, ask powerful questions and let your curiosity lead you to connect with people of all ages.

Visionary and purposeful leadership to create positive impact is mentally demanding and can be draining to the leaders. It is therefore important that social impact leaders are constantly in touch with their emotions and are able to harness them for good. Finding time to recharge is also important and it energizes one for greater exploits.

I have seen many social impact leaders who ignore this part. And the results are not pretty. Not for them or their families, and not for the people they aim to serve. Social Impact leaders need to prioritize their own wellbeing so they are able to serve from a full bucket. It is an integral part of their duty.

What I found in my work is that even if our goal is to deliver impact for society, we need to have skills on practical aspects of running an organization, including finance, HR, operations, without these, the big ideas do not get translated into action and impact.

One more essential skill for those aiming to lead social impact movements is the ability to rally support for their cause. A mix of healthy passion, storytelling abilities, and a good dose of persistence in the face of indifference.

People working in social purpose organizations are driven by cause/ heart/ desire to contribute and therefore leading them requires a different kind of leadership. A leadership that operates from compassion. Whereas Social Purpose organizations continue to be organizations like others where deliverables need to be taken care of. As leaders, they need to manage Project timelines, quality, budgets, data integrity, and accountability to donors. Slack on efficiency would impact the next round of funding. Social Impact leaders would thrive well if they could hold together Efficiency and compassion.

It’s imperative for social impact leaders to stay connected to the grassroots. Often, as organisations grow, leaders may find themselves getting distanced from the on-ground impact, while they work with other stakeholders. Hence it’s a good practice to consciously take time out to meet and interact with your beneficiaries, and work towards last-mile delivery.

Technology and digital transformation - no matter your mission, this area is a must to consider Crisis management, decisiveness and change management - organisations that survived or even thrived during the global crisis caused by the pandemic are proof of how essential these are