Rethinking Leadership Development For The Social Sector

Forbes

15-07-2025

Executive Director, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University, accelerating hope for a world without poverty.
Being a leader of an organization propelling social and environmental change means engaging in difficult, often isolating work. Problems such as poverty, systemic racism, public health inequities and climate justice are entrenched, volatile and complex. They involve tangled stakeholder networks, ever-evolving constraints, labyrinthine funding journeys and the constant balancing act between mission impact and organizational sustainability.
These thorny issues generally lack clear, straightforward technical solutions. Instead, they require adaptive problem-solving skills. Where can leaders of nonprofits, social enterprises and other impact-first organizations turn for answers and help? We're finding that one of the best sources is each other.
Why Peer-To-Peer Networks Work
Impact leaders face challenges that don't exist in traditional businesses, where so many experts and consultants have gained their experience. Too often, outside consultants, speaker-driven conferences and rigid, pre-packaged training programs fail to address the reality of impact-first organizations.
Peer settings offer a welcome alternative, making room for more candor and less posturing. Fellow leaders can provide advice and examples grounded in lived experience, not generic theory. Individuals are more likely to share what didn't work, the pivots they made and the emotional realities behind their decisions with others in similar situations.
Within the space of peer networks, leaders can solve problems collaboratively. They can test ideas, get feedback and work through possible solutions together rather than struggling in isolation to find answers.
For nonprofits and social enterprises working in rural or isolated areas, or in regions lacking a strong support infrastructure, access to experts of any kind can be limited or nonexistent. Leaders might participate in accelerator or incubator programs at the outset of their ventures, but finding sustained support and training can be difficult.
Community lies at the heart of every successful peer network. As the Stanford Social Innovation Review has said, 'What distinguishes peer-driven change ... is that it emphasizes people's mutuality, where peers share information, connections, and funding to achieve their goals.' Building community is crucial for creating the mutual support and trust that allow peers to truly listen to and learn from one another.
A Peer Network In Action
I had the privilege of witnessing a powerful example of peer-driven change last March at our organization's inaugural Entrepreneur Summit in Nairobi.
The summit brought together a group of distinguished entrepreneurs from 15 countries around the world who are building successful, impactful organizations. Peer-led sessions focused on leadership, scaling and navigating current funding challenges. Participants built valuable connections with like-minded individuals who shared a passion for innovation, entrepreneurship and mission-driven impact.
One of the most unexpectedly fun and powerful sessions at the summit was on 'Biggest Failings Stories.' Three seasoned social entrepreneurs, all considered success stories, each shared one of their most painful recent failures—not an early-career failure, but something that happened within the past year. Following this brave demonstration of vulnerability, they invited others in the room to share their stories and even offered a small prize for 'the most impressive failure.'
At least 15 entrepreneurs stood up to describe their 'best' failures, with the 'winner' telling a harrowing story of how relying on a verbal funding agreement with a high-net-worth investor went disastrously wrong.
In another peer-led session, based on the Brain Trust concept originated by Pixar, breakout group members presented a business challenge, then voted on which issue to focus on more deeply. One entrepreneur, who had been experiencing serious setbacks and was considering giving up, talked in depth about the challenge.
Others in the group listened attentively, then asked questions, intended to inspire further exploration rather than offer specific advice. The entrepreneur was able to think about the problem from different angles. Her peers' perspectives helped her approach investors with renewed focus and confidence, which helped her secure funding soon after the summit.
What made this event different from typical conferences for entrepreneurs?
• It was co-created by and for entrepreneurs of impact-first organizations.
• It focused on personal leadership, shared challenges and collective wisdom.
• It used peer-led sessions and deep listening to surface insights and forge connections.
Rethinking Leadership Development
The Entrepreneur Summit wasn't a one-off event. It reflects a broader movement toward decentralized, leader-driven learning and action. And it points the way toward an ongoing support system—a vibrant, multifaceted community—able to drive changemaking leaders' social and environmental impact at scale.
Every player in the nonprofit and social enterprise ecosystem has a role to play in making peer-driven leadership a core feature of our mutual efforts. Here are some concrete steps to consider:
• Reframe leadership from the lone hero archetype to a model of community-based support.
• Integrate peer coaching or reciprocal mentoring programs into existing fellowships, accelerators and incubators.
• Convene regular gatherings of leaders who are working on similar issues, and include structured peer learning protocols.
• Fund relationship-building as a strategy, not a side effect, by allocating funding for cohort formation, peer retreats and travel stipends that allow leaders to meet together in person.
• Leverage digital platforms (secure chat groups, video calls, dashboards) alongside in-person activities to maintain consistent communication, especially for geographically dispersed organizations. Investigate the development of digital tools specifically designed for impact sector peer learning.
I invite all nonprofits, impact funders and other ecosystem participants to rethink how we approach leadership development and support for leaders of impact organizations. We need to create more opportunities for those closest to the work to learn from each other—not as a nice-to-have extra or left to the whims of serendipity, but as a strategic imperative.
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