Curriculum
MODULE 4 - Social Competencies
Unit 1 - Co-creation | co-design | co-working
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Unit 2 - Leadership in social enterprises
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Unit 3 - Self-confidence
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Unit 4 - Achieve Change as a Social Entrepreneur
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Case Study
Good leadership is a key factor in the success of a social enterprise. Promoting social change and values, establishing goals, motivate people to work towards the goal is all vital capacities of a leader. In social enterprises leadership also relies on ethics, integrity and expertise, but also on empathy and passion. Empathy and passion about the organisation’s mission are the qualities, which may probably most distinguish the leader of a social enterprise from other corporate or political leaders.
The SAGA case studies can perfectly illustrate why leadership is important in social enterprises. The story of the Szász family rural tourism business from Transylvania (Romania) is one of the most vivid examples for good leadership skills. Back in 2002 they bought a land with a traditional house and a barn on it. Since then the family has been collecting several old traditional houses from the Ghimes valley where they are located and rebuilt them in their original form thus creating a whole Skanzen. Their built heritage preserving mission helped them to build good relations with locals, which definitely set the tone for further long term collaboration.
The Skanzen offers accommodation, catering and various programs for their visitors. Thus, they can have the opportunity to experience the past through gastronomy in a traditional environment. The business of the Szász family is mainly based on supporting the local economy through the employment of local people, use of local resources and suppliers. Moreover, they systemically involve the local community and visiting guests in these programmes, events they offer for future collaboration and networking. This enterprise actually helps local people reach higher standards of living, better quality life, the family continuously assures new employment perspective.
What makes the members of the Szász family good leaders? A few highlights of their role model set: their mission and vision that of preserving local cultural and traditional values while continuously assuring livelihood opportunities for the local community members, system of values and approach to life (sustainable lifestyle family tourism business), good cooperation skills, loyalty towards the community, resilience/perseverance, and creativity what triggered their dream and last but not at least their courage, which fuelled their motivation. These are all character traits of a good leader, which can be learned through practice.