Can Government Leaders Drive Innovation for your Social Enterprise?

Abstract

With social enterprise organizations striving to accelerate the adoption of innovative ideas across their organizations, the thought of investing time with government leaders is likely often last on anyone’s to-do list. Still, David Simms, chairman of Opportunity International (a global organization that p rovides microfinance loans, savings, insurance, and training to over five million people working their way out of poverty in the developing world), has uncovered two compelling arguments for engaging with government leaders.

Q. With the perception that governments are bureaucracies, why would anyone seeking social innovation want to engage with government leaders?

A. Despite the fact that some government leaders might be characterized as bureaucrats, there are other government individuals who offer two invaluable competencies which can help social enterprises succeed—that of local insight and relationship credibility. By local insight, I’m referring to the ability to provide holistic context for the ecosystems where Opportunity International operates. Relationship credibility is the earned respect government leaders can bring to the table when we propose ideas that might at first seem impossible to bring to market.