The Buzz 4-6-12

Our quick read on the top tweets, news, and buzz circulating in the field of changemaking this past week. Tell us, what's got you talking? And what do you want to be talking about?

• In our society, expression, voice, and oration are rewarded with adoration and promotions. But, you don’t always need to be loud to be an effective leader. And some of our loudest leaders may actually not be as gregarious as we assume. Definitions of “social” are changing, so here are a few ways to make your voice heard if you are a quiet leader: http://ht.ly/a9b6W
• Jeff Stibel, CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp says that entrepreneurs don’t need work/life balance. They live and breathe their work, so seeking a balanced life is just not the entrepreneur’s way. Instead, they should set priorities—whether it be family, or partners, or kids, or a favorite hobby, and just understand that everything else in life just won’t fit. What do you think? Does being entrepreneur mean that you can’t have a life? http://ht.ly/a9bCT

• Nobody wants to do charity anymore. At least that’s what Victor d’Allant at SocialEdge thinks. While philanthropy still has its place, philanthropy + capitalism—the idea that you can make money while doing good—is growing as a philosophy in the donor sector. But, we’re social entrepreneurs, so we already knew that, no? These “investments,” however, put a lot of pressure on social enterprises—pressure that they can’t always withstand given that they are trying to change people’s lives. An interesting conundrum: http://ht.ly/a9fk3

• Ten insightful reads for anyone who wants to change careers, including classics like What Color is your Parachute? to a new read from the founder of TOMS Shoes, Blake Mycoskie. We would add our own Work on Purpose, but check out the list and share which ones were most helpful for you: http://ht.ly/a9fuM

• David del Ser, a 2009 Echoing Green Fellow, is the founder of Frogtek, a mobile technology company that hopes to boost the productivity and income of small shopkeepers. As a social entrepreneur for a few years now, he’s discovered a few gaps in the sector including those with the wisdom of age and experience, more locally-created enterprises, honest communication about impact, and funding. Are there others? http://ht.ly/a9fOk

• Gandhi had ten fundamentals for changing the world: forgive and let go, take care of this moment, and change yourself among them. We love this image depicting all of them. Pin it and share it with others: http://ht.ly/a9fTe

• We talk about failure a lot—when you’re trying to change the world in big and small ways, it’s inevitable. But, to become more successful, you must change the way you think about failure. An excellent piece in Inc. magazine with a few beliefs to adopt—including a reminder that failure is temporary—that you should take to heart: http://ht.ly/a9g9P

We published a long new list of social impact jobs from around the world—including several from our own Fellows. Check them out and share them with your networks: http://ht.ly/a9flI