How Thinking on Social Enterprise Has Evolved at On Purpose

From harnessing the power of social enterprise to the navigating the disruptions we are all living through, the journey of On Purpose International is also one that our wider movement has gone and is going through.

On Purpose London started in 2010 with a cohort of just 5 pioneering Associates and placement host organisations, willing to commit to a one year leadership programme that would transform the Associates' careers and add a different kind of value to organisations involved.

Since then we have continuously updated and developed our thinking so as to have to have as much impact as possible on our ultimate aim of bringing about a healthy economy. The stages we have been through have included:

1. Harnessing the power of social enterprise - how do we use commercial ways of thinking to bring about better social and environmental outcomes?
2. Redefining purpose - how do we influence how the majority of organisations think about why they exist?
3. Creating transformational systems change - how can the recognition that linear thinking is too limited for most (all?!) important challenges spark a fundamental mind shift?
4. Navigating complexity - how can understanding complexity not only help organisations survive but also evolve towards a healthy future?

You can see what this has looked like in reality for On Purpose in this talk I gave for the Asan Nanum Foundation, about developing the leaders who spark the transformation we need.

About the author

Tom Rippin is CEO of On Purpose. He writes about leadership, systems change and creating lasting social and environmental impact. Connect with Tom on LinkedIn.