What are some of the skills or knowledge gaps that you want to address or improve as a social impact leader?

Social impact organizations and initiatives can benefit from being run as efficiently as for profit companies. This requires social impact leaders to think strategically. One way to do this is to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative impact of your initiatives, for example, through a Social Return on Investment (SROI) assessment. The SROI can help you identify which initiatives are producing the desired impact, which ones aren’t, and more importantly, it allows you to identify how you could allocate resources in a better way depending on your goals.

The most critical aspect of strategic thinking when it comes to Social Impact Leadership, is looking at what actually makes a "leader". In the corporate world, the word "leader" is a bit more straightforward. The leader is the boss. In the world of Social Impact Leadership, we are also "Stewards". Stewards are both mission driven AND sustainability driven. With corporate "leaders", their mission may only be based in the value of increasing profits/bottom line for their shareholders. While Social Impact Leaders/Stewards strategize and implement missions based on universal values - some of which are also triple bottom line values, which takes more into account: people, planet, AND profit, while also addressing issues at a systemic level.

Strategic thinking is essential for leaders, especially those in social impact roles, to visualize the bigger context of problems and design scalable, inclusive solutions. For enhancing strategic thinking, it's crucial to engage in a questioning process that considers the problem's root causes, its stakeholders, assumptions, risks, impact metrics, and adaptability strategies. Questions to Foster Strategic Thinking # How does our strategy align with broader social justice goals and principles? # What unintended consequences might our solution have, and how can we mitigate them? # How does our strategy integrate a trauma-informed and healing-based approach, especially for marginalized communities?

Being an effective social impact leader who thinks strategically requires a willingness to confront your own biases and the humility to know when to step back. So before diving in trying to find solutions, it's important to ask yourself "am I the right person to solve this particular problem? Could my involvement actually perpetuate harm or exacerbate the problems I'm trying to solve?" Effectively understanding root causes and systemic issues means being willing to confront your own assumptions and limitations. It's important for leaders to remember that being enthusiastic and passionate about a topic isn't a free pass to parachute in to problems where you lack necessary knowledge, skills, relationships, or experiences.

See the Big Picture: Look beyond immediate issues to understand long-term implications and root causes. Stakeholder Involvement: Engage all affected parties, especially marginalized communities, in the planning process. Risk Assessment: Be transparent about assumptions and risks, allowing for adaptability. Impact Metrics: Define success through both data and human stories to measure your impact. Adaptability: Strategic thinking is ongoing. Regularly adapt based on new data and feedback.

Communication and storytelling are crucial skills for social impact leaders. The ability to convey your message clearly and compellingly serves both external and internal purposes. Externally, strong communication aids in fundraising, advocacy, and marketing efforts. Internally, it builds trust and fosters a collaborative culture within the team and organization. To hone these skills, experiment with various formats and channels—written memos, verbal presentations, visual aids, or digital platforms. Tailoring your content and tone to suit your audience and objectives is key. Employ storytelling techniques like a clear narrative structure and emotional engagement.

Communication is vital in the area of Social Impact Leadership. Every day we must look at whether we are creating or participating in divisive, polarized, or fearful narratives. Or, if we're creating NEW language & restorative dialogue that transcends the "us vs them" narratives. We are in an age where communication & storytelling can be deliberately designed to divide us. If we look at the social media communication landscape, we can see that people are competing against each other to see who has more followers or likes. This can leave a person - especially a young person - feeling as though this determines their self worth. Or at least, a part of it. Transformative Communication & Storytelling in Social Impact Leadership is critical.

Being an effective storyteller requires a deep understanding of the cultural and social context of the story you're telling, and a willingness to ask yourself whether you are the right person to tell that story with integrity. It's also important to be clear and honest with partners about how their stories will be used and to what ends.

Two dimensions to storytelling that are critical in social impact: 1) connecting your organization’s story to the broader narrative and 2) tailoring your storytelling for various audiences. Narrative building is crucial when working as a coalition for a common goal, and for connecting the dots between your actions and the larger theory of change. Flexible communications are crucial when you are fundraising or engaging various stakeholders. Finding the relevant way into a conversation is key.

Being able to articulate a vision in a way that is both compelling and accessible is truly an art form. This not only facilitates a deeper connection with your audience but can effectively amplify the resonance of your message. Furthermore, honing this skill can foster a culture of transparency and mutual respect within a team. The incorporation of various sensory elements into storytelling can indeed foster a more immersive and impactful experience. It’s a continuous journey of learning and refining, and the reward is creating narratives that can genuinely move people to action. It’s reassuring to see others championing the indispensable skill of adept communication and storytelling in the landscape of social impact.

Collaboration and diversity are integral skills for leaders in the social impact sector. The ability to collaborate effectively with a diverse range of individuals is not just about pooling resources; it's about combining different perspectives to develop innovative and inclusive solutions. This approach goes beyond solving external challenges to building an internal culture of learning, feedback, and growth within the organization. To enhance your skills in this area, focus on active and empathetic listening. Ask open-ended and probing questions that encourage dialogue. Constructive feedback should be given and received to foster a culture of improvement. Equally important is the recognition of biases and conflicts

No one person saves the world on their own. In Social Impact Leadership, everything is a co-creation and a collaborative effort. Collaboration & diversity are vital. What one person experiences in Africa can be completely different than what someone else experiences in Mexico. And while interconnection and interconnectedness are real, each situation is also unique. We are much more powerful as a collective, co-creating solutions together. There are so many different perspectives/lenses in which people view the world through. Without us tapping into each other's potential & experiences, we are only viewing things through a VERY narrow lens. Truth can be subjective. Everyone has their own reality and unique experiences.

If you enter the social impact space to feed your ego, then your impact will be very limited. Most collaborations are often a product of self-promotion and branding which are short term rewards. To be an effective leader, collaboration is best done internally by fostering a culture that board members listen to staff, and staff can approach their board members. Diversity should start within and leaders must come from different backgrounds.

I find that in a world that is increasingly chaotic, emotional resilience is a scarcity. And as leaders we often push for support for frontline workers but forget about the own grief and trauma that we absorb on a daily basis. When you are caring for a large group of people and setting big goals and reacting to crises, it can be tough. Self care is a priority. I find this to be a gap in the social impact space. It is one that I have longed to be filled.

We are continuous students. Self awareness & continual learning is something that Social Impact Leaders/Stewards will be working on until the day we die. I used to think that when someone was a leader, that meant that they were better than others. When I was bullied at a young age, that is how "leadership" occurred to me. Then I grew up. Every human being has the innate ability to be a social impact leader/steward, change maker, if they so choose. We all have our own unique gifts, strengths, and things we're working on to gain more experience in, and to improve upon. It's crucial we empower each other and reimagine the way "leadership" emerges and begin recognizing the genuine, heart centered, extraordinary leaders all around us.

Self-awareness and resilience are pivotal qualities for leaders in the social impact domain. Being aware of your own strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations allows you to navigate complex challenges effectively. Resilience equips you to handle stress, uncertainty, and setbacks, which are inherent in work that aims for substantial societal change. These traits are vital not just for personal well-being but also significantly influence your professional effectiveness and leadership style.

Hang out with people smarter than you. When you think you know everything, you'll be surprised at how much others can teach you.

I've thought a lot about what it means to be a Social Impact Leader. I like to call what we do, "Transformative Leadership", because what we do is multi faceted and "Social Impact Leader" is not easily defined. There are Social Impact Leaders that we don't even know about. These co-creators are out in our communities, doing work way below their pay scale, and why? Because they care. They're making sacrifices for the rest of us. Many of these leaders become invisible to us because they aren't conjuring up the top media headlines. The ones who are in the trenches, working day in and day out, to create lasting, positive change in our world, and are producing measurable results. Let's remind them of the difference they're making every day.

In addition to the core skills discussed, it's worth emphasizing the value of adaptability and a learning mindset. The landscape of social impact work is constantly shifting due to technological advancements, policy changes, and societal transformations. Being nimble and willing to pivot is not just a bonus; it's often a necessity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social impact organizations had to rapidly adjust their strategies to address new challenges, such as increased inequality and limited in-person interactions. Leaders who had a propensity for adaptability and a willingness to learn were better positioned to navigate these challenges successfully. Furthermore, never underestimate the power of human connection and kindness.

One of the most important skills for those in social impact leadership is the ability to identify risks of harm to people & communities, and then working to eliminate or mitigate those. Sometimes good intentions can produce negative social impacts unintentionally.

Collaboration is critical skill to social impact leaders. Success never occurs in a vacuum on difficult to solve issues. Finding ways to build relationships and continue to build relationships even when there is misalignment between organizations is critical. While leadership can refer to collaborative efforts, thinking beyond "leadership" and leaning into collaboration is really where things get done.

In addition to the above, always be aware of the bigger global picture... nothing happens in a bubble anymore... what you may do in one corner of the world, may very well be implementable and impactful in another corner... be aware of the ripple effect you create when implementing any local social impact project...make sure your stakeholders understand the implications of what is being proposed or implemented (both positive and negative) .... also, always educate, educate, educate... make the knowledge, skills and abilities you are applying to any project transferable and translatable within the local context always with an eye on potential expansion...and connect the impact lines to a broader "market"