Lessons - The Evolving Role of Social Entrepreneurship | Abby Falik - Founder & CEO of Global Citizen Year
Sep 17, 2024
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Abby Falik, Founder & CEO of Global Citizen Year, sheds light on the transformative power of social entrepreneurship and education reform. She shares insights on redefining leadership, emphasizing it as influence rather than a title. Abby discusses how businesses can balance profit and purpose, and the need for businesses to prioritize societal impact. Moreover, she champions the REAL skills—Resilience, Empathy, Agency, and Leadership—as essential for nurturing future leaders capable of tackling global challenges.
Abby Falik emphasizes the need for businesses to adopt a purpose-driven model that prioritizes social impact alongside financial sustainability.
The podcast highlights the importance of developing resilient and empathetic leaders through education reform focused on essential skills like agency and leadership.
Deep dives
Defining Social Entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is an evolving concept that intertwines the pursuit of profit with a social purpose, challenging traditional business distinctions. The definition suggests that the driver behind these ventures is the opportunity to effect positive change for people and the planet, rather than merely maximizing profits. The boundaries between conventional and social entrepreneurship are increasingly blurring, indicating a need for a broader interpretation of what businesses can achieve beyond financial success. Establishing organizations as not-for-profits can provide clarity on prioritizing impact over profit, allowing leaders to make decisions focused on long-term societal benefits.
Measuring Impact and Leadership Skills
Impact measurement in social entrepreneurship revolves around fostering transformative experiences that develop essential leadership skills, such as resilience, empathy, agency, and leadership itself. A framework that emphasizes these skills in young people aims to cultivate a future generation of responsible leaders who approach challenges with courage and humility. Rather than seeing leadership as a role or title, it should be viewed as an ongoing practice involving personal growth and influence, regardless of one's position within an organization. This approach encourages a shift in focus from individual success to collective responsibility in driving meaningful change.
Shifting Perspectives on Corporate Purpose
Modern businesses must transition from a singular focus on profit maximization to a broader understanding of their purpose and social responsibility. Leaders need to engage stakeholders, including shareholders and philanthropists, in conversations that highlight the importance of accounting for externalities and understanding the holistic impact of their operations. By redefining their success metrics to include social and environmental considerations, companies can create a more balanced approach that values all stakeholders, not just investors. This shift requires leaders to inspire a deep commitment to change that transcends basic obligations, fostering a sense of urgency to act in alignment with their core values.
In this "Lessons" episode, Abby Falik, Founder & CEO of Global Citizen Year, shares insights on social entrepreneurship, redefining leadership, and the role of education in preparing future leaders. Abby's approach focuses on purpose-driven leadership, holistic education reform, and how businesses can operate with both social impact and financial sustainability.
Redefining Social Entrepreneurship: Abby discusses how social entrepreneurship blends for-profit and non-profit models to prioritize both people and the planet. She highlights the need for businesses to focus on impact rather than just profits, urging a shift towards purpose-driven organizations that account for their influence on society and the environment.
Transforming Education for Future Leaders: Global Citizen Year focuses on equipping young people with REAL (Resilience, Empathy, Agency, and Leadership) skills. Abby believes these are the critical tools for developing empathetic, courageous leaders who will approach their roles with a sense of responsibility to address the world's challenges.
Leadership as Influence, Not a Title: Abby redefines leadership as the ability to influence and inspire from any position, emphasizing that leadership is not tied to a title or salary. She encourages individuals to embrace their power and agency to create change, fostering a mindset where everyone can be a leader in their own right.