On Wednesday, Chris posted a new cover photo on our facebook page; it was a picture of a beautiful parrot blending in with a green tree.  It was a perfect example of camouflage: the bird had evolved to look exactly like a tree.

The very nature of social entrepreneurship involves camouflage.  Social entrepreneurs really aren’t the same as regular entrepreneurs, nor are they the same as non-profit organizations.

Yet, it is important to blend in at times, and stand out like a colorful flying parrot at other times.

For-profit social entrepreneurs, here is a quick guide on when to blend in with the rest of the entrepreneurship world and when to stick out like a sore thumb: Read more »

On a daily basis, is your goal to stand out from the crowd, or blend right into the wallpaper and avoid any attention?

Often times we may find ourselves at this juncture and more often than not we tend to side with the choices that don’t rock the boat or draw attention. It can mean something as small as not speaking your opinion in a meeting or can have much larger implications by deciding not to share an idea with the team.

Our decision (subconscious or not) signals a lack of confidence – either in the idea itself or in our ability to explain or defend it. We quietly shoot the idea down in our head and never give it the opportunity to see the light of day. This rationalization is selfish and detrimental not just to our development, but to the mission that we aim to support. Read more »