Running the business of life

Pamela Hartigan, director of the Schwab Foundation, drew up a list of 10 points common to people who become dissatisfied with the world around them and decide to create their own work. I think Pamela’s list goes beyond social entrepreneurship and could be applied to many things that we do in our daily life.

Impatience: People in search of his/her dream does not wait for things to happen; s/he sees yesterday’s problems as today’s opportunities. Impatience often causes them to change direction, but the need to adapt makes them more mature.

Awareness: People in search of his/her dream knows that s/he are not alone in this world, and that every gesture of theirs has consequences. The work s/he is doing could transform their environment. Aware of this power, they become an active element in society, and this leaves them at peace with life.

Innovation: People in search of his/her dream believes that everything could be different from the way it is, but first they must find a path that has never been taken. Although s/he is always surrounded by the old bureaucracy, by other people’s comments and by the difficulties of penetrating as yet untamed forests, they find alternative ways of making themselves heard.

Pragmatism: People in search of his/her dream does not wait around for the ideal resources required to begin — they roll up their sleeves and set out to do it. Each bit of progress, however small, increases his confidence and the confidence of those around him, and the resources he needs always turn up.

Apprenticeship: People in search of his/her dream usually has a profound interest in a particular area, and their detailed knowledge helps them find new solutions to old problems. This apprenticeship, however, can only take place through practice and constant renewal.

Seduction: No one can survive alone in a competitive world: aware of this, people in search of his/her dream try to get other people interested in their ideas. And these people become interested because they know they are in the presence of something that not only combines creativity and social commitment, but could also prove financially lucrative.

Flexibility: People in search of his/her dream have an idea in their head and a plan to make that idea reality. However, as they follows their path, they realise that they must adapt to the realities of the world around them, and it is then that their sense of social responsibility becomes an important factor in transforming the environment. One example: to reduce infant mortality in a particular city, it is not enough simply to take better care of children’s health; things like sanitation, nutrition, etc. all need to be changed too.

Stubbornness: People in search of his/her dream can be flexible about their path, but they are, at the same time, always focused on their goal. Because of their innovative ideas and because they are always moving in unknown territory, they never say: “I tried but it didn’t work.” On the contrary, they are always looking for possible alternatives, which is why they get results.

Joy: People in search of his/her dream encounter difficult moments, but is happy with what s/he does. The inevitable mistakes or blunders they make do not make them doubt their abilities, for they are able to smile when they do something wrong — they know they will be able to put it right later on.

Infectiousness: People in search of his/her dream has a unique ability to make the people around them realise that it is worth following their example. They will, therefore, never feel alone, even though they may occasionally feel misunderstood. Pamela Hartigan concludes her study with the example of a Brazilian social entrepreneur Fábio Rosa. When Fábio saw how much of their income people in his community were spending on non-renewable fuel, he set about developing a system using solar energy. Fábio’s work, which conforms to the 10 points in Pamela’s study, is now recognised worldwide; the idea caught on with several companies, and it will soon bring benefits to millions of people, as well as protect the environment.

Translated by Margarell Jull Costa