6 qualities of successful social entrepreneurs

As related in The Nonprofit Times e-mail newsletter:

So, what makes a successful social entrepreneur? In his book “How to Change the World,” David Bornstein disputes the common assumption that highly successful entrepreneurs are more confident and persistent than most others.

Instead, he found that what distinguishes successful social entrepreneurs is the quality of their motivation; they were the ones who were most determined to achieve a long-term goal that was deeply meaningful to them.

With this, he sets out six qualities of highly successful social entrepreneurs.:

Willingness to self-correct. Inclination to self-correct stems from the attachment to a goal rather than to a particular approach or plan.

Willingness to share credit. A willingness to share credit lies along the “critical path” to success, because the more credit entrepreneurs share the more people will want to help them.

Willingness to break free of established structures. By doing this, entrepreneurs can gain the freedom to act and the distance to see beyond orthodoxy in their fields.

Willingness to cross disciplinary boundaries. Independence from established structures not only helps social entrepreneurs break free of prevailing assumptions but also gives them latitude to combine resources in new ways.

Willingness to work quietly. Many social entrepreneurs spend decades steadily advancing their ideas.

Strong ethical impetus. At some moment in their lives, social entrepreneurs get it into their heads that it is up to them to solve a particular problem.

Entrepreneur to hear business pitches on Quadby Kevin Tampone

John Liddy, entrepreneur in residence at the Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse, will spend a few hours Tuesday afternoon handing out cash on the Syracuse University Quad.
Students will have to earn the money though.

Liddy will listen to business ideas from any student and hand out vouchers for $5 in cash. Students must show up to an event for young entrepreneurs scheduled for April 28 at the Tech Garden to claim the money.

And the idea must be real, says Paul Brooks, vice president for entrepreneurship programs at the Tech Garden. Liddy will vet the concepts and only distribute the cash vouchers to students with top ideas.

The April 28 event will bring together student entrepreneurs from various SU schools, investors, and potential mentors for a program on entrepreneurship and emerging companies, Brooks says.

Liddy will be on the Quad from noon to 2:30 p.m.