Ripple effect of redefining social impact

When you hear the term "social impact," what comes to your mind?

For many, it brings to mind charity work, community programs, or corporate responsibility. While these efforts are crucial, limiting social impact to the realm of charities or NGOs overlooks its true essence.

To me, social impact isn’t just a concept—it’s a series of choices we make every day that shape the world we live in. It’s not only about ideals; it’s about the real, actionable steps that connect us to each other and to the future we want to build together as a society, because it affects all of us. Whether it's how I run my business, the way I engage with communities, or the projects I develop, social impact is about acting with meaningful intention, sparking change where it's needed, and creating value. It’s the sum of the small, meaningful actions that collectively push things forward.

When we view social impact through this broader lens, it shifts from a specialized activity to a universal responsibility. It becomes clear that every sector, organization, and individual contributes to how society functions and evolves.

One of the most profound ways social impact manifests is through narratives. For example, the stories we tell as a society influence our values, behaviours, and what we focus on. Narratives within media, education, policy, or culture shape how we perceive what is happening around us. It is about sense-making of the world. 

If we look at the global movement toward sustainability, it didn’t gain its momentum through data alone. It was stories—of melting glaciers, disappearing species, and communities affected by climate change—that changed the course. These stories made complex challenges tangible, creating a ripple effect that encouraged individuals and organizations to invest their time, resources, and energy in solutions that respect and work with nature, not against it.

Social impact thrives on collaboration. No single entity—whether a government,

a corporation, or an individual—can solve systemic challenges alone. Cross-sector partnerships are essential for leveraging expertise, resources, and influence to bring innovation and amplifying the effect of collaborative efforts.

For instance, when a technology company partners with an environmental NGO to develop AI solutions for monitoring deforestation, the result is more impactful than either could achieve alone. These collaborations - not just supporting by giving funding - blur the lines between sectors, proving that social impact is not confined to any one domain, but is the cumulative effect of shared endeavours. In this new approach to impact work, every partner—whether business, NGO, or public entity—should hold equal importance and role.

One of the challenges of social impact is - impact measurement. How do you quantify the effects of systemic change? While traditional metrics like job creation or carbon reduction are valuable, they don’t capture the broader shifts in culture, behaviour, or values.

A more holistic approach involves focusing on outcomes rather than outputs. For instance, consider how an initiative has shifted the way people think about sustainability, or how a project has influenced policy, or increased public awareness. These are the ripples that indicate deeper and lasting change. 

Social impact is most powerful when it’s systemic, addressing root causes rather than symptoms. It’s less about immediate results and more about creating the conditions for lasting improvements.

Imagine a society where social impact isn’t an afterthought but a guiding principle. Businesses would operate with a clear sense of responsibility, governments would prioritize long-term well-being, and individuals would see themselves as part of a greater whole. 

This isn’t just an idealistic vision—it’s the direction we must move toward to address the complexity of our time.

I am hopeful, because I see practical ways how this can be achieved. 

But more about that—in my following articles.