The results provide intriguing insights into the challenges and opportunities for leaders in our space.
Between October 2015 and April 2016 we carried out over 40 interviews with social enterprise executives and board members, intermediaries and corporate and government organisations to understand the leadership challenges faced by social enterprise leaders and the implications for the purpose-led organisations they work for.
The interviews revealed a deep commitment to the impact of social enterprise and at the same time highlighted three distinct challenges facing many leaders today: lack of role clarity, limited career opportunities and personal and professional beliefs that limit personal or organisational impact.
My role is what is left over when everyone else is done with theirs
This refrain could be dismissed as the complaint of a start-up CEO, but it was echoed by executives at scaling and mature organisations alike. As well as contributing to an all-too-common personal sense of burn-out, it also entrapped CEOs between managing urgent activity and leading longer-term development of the organisation, which can easily inadvertently contribute to feelings of perpetual stress amongst the wider organisation.
Where do I go next?
The growth of social enterprises over the last ten years has been exceptional, with 35% of them less than three years old more than three times the proportion of SMEs (SEUK, State of Social Enterprise Report, 2015). While social enterprise executives celebrate the growth of the sector, many also expressed concerns about the limited number of large-scale mature organisations, and the resulting lack of professional growth opportunities at senior levels.
Executives shared frustrations ranging from professional and financial stagnation to feelings of being trapped in the social enterprise space with limited opportunities to apply their experience. While this deeply held belief served them well personally, transferring that belief to their organisation may seriously limit the impact it can have.
Expectations of social enterprise CEOs to be “good” are often compounded by the high degree of scrutiny that our relatively small social enterprise world can generate.
