Change your behaviours to operate as a social business

The third step in moving your charity to a social business is adapting your behaviours in order to start thinking and operating as a social business.

Many leading authors and leadership experts believe there are three key aspects to effective leadership in an organisation, with the ultimate “leader” being proficient in all three:

1. Technician

2. Manager

3. Entrepreneur

If I use the example of a school, the teacher is the technician, the headmistress is the manager, and the entrepreneur is she that finds new opportunities and ways of working that are used for the benefit of the students.

It is the role of the entrepreneur that needs to come to the fore when converting your charity to a social business.

You need the ability to adapt or change your behaviours in the following key areas in order to be successful in this transition.

Be an agent for change - use tactics that will work within your environment, focusing on commercial drivers to transform your organisation in becoming a social business.

Use existing resources - don’t incur high costs to make the changes required. In the short term aim to stick to your current team size and overheads, whilst focussing your energy on commercially driven revenue models rather than on donations and grants.

Commercial focus - use the opportunities provided with open markets to generate the revenue required to support your social and environmental objectives.

Don’t lose sight of the reasons why your organisation exists, stick to your vision of addressing social issues, whilst retaining strong leadership attributes to support and steer your team in becoming a social business.

Mike.