The impact sector - it’s personal. This is Henning’s story:

In 2009, following a decade-long career in business and consulting that had given me many exciting experiences across Europe, South America and Asia, I packed it all in and moved to Sierra Leone as a volunteer in the Ministry of Health.

The year-long stint was my first step into the impact space. Looking back, my lack of knowledge about Africa, or the development sector was shocking. The tension between feeling that I needed to “deliver”, whilst knowing so little about the place I had set my foot in almost broke me. Without the help of wonderful local mentors and patient friends I would not have lasted very long. However, after this first taste of working in the impact space, I have never let go. I have been lucky enough to experience this sector in a variety of roles, ranging from impact investor for a philanthropic foundation, to market systems specialist in a government agency, to Director in an international NGO. I benefitted profoundly from finding a “tribe” in networks such as the Shared Value Network, the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs, and the Skoll Forum, where I found relief and power in knowing that I am not alone in thinking that business, entrepreneurship and development should go hand in glove, and that to make it work we need a more inclusive and sustainable type of capitalism. With the help of many others, I created networks such as the NGO impact investment network, and engaged with like-minded people during my stint at the Harvard Kennedy School and as a visiting scholar at the MIT Legatum Center for Entrepreneurship and Development. I am in awe of the trailblazing work of some of the wonderful partners I was able to work with, such as Acumen, Root Capital, Business Fights Poverty and so many others. These organizations are driven by dedicated and passionate individuals with seemingly never-ending reservoirs of grit and optimism.

Throughout these years, I lived the highs, such as when I finally got that multi-million US$ investment over the line, or when my organization received a grant from a key donor, validating many years of hard work and investment. My most cherished moments were often the small ones, such as sharing lunch under a tree in rural Uganda, or the tears of joy in the eyes of a Zimbabwean partner, who closed a business deal that would generate a stable income for dozens of families. For me, working in the impact space delivered everything I had hoped for, and then some. A career with meaning, a life with purpose, a feeling of knowing why I am in this fight. Most importantly, a sense of making a contribution, even if it is a tiny one, to something that is bigger than me. This feeling was there from the first time I set foot into Sierra Leone, and it is still there more than a decade later.

At the same time, my life in the impact sector has taken me to lows that I would never have foreseen. The flip side of the passion for impact, the perceived importance of what I am trying to do for others, and the desperate need for change, is the power of the blows when things go wrong. It’s personal – and this makes me vulnerable, susceptible to stress, and deeply disappointed when things do not work out.

And it’s not just me. In my years in the impact sector, I have seen a similar pattern over and over again. Colleagues and friends filled with profound, heartfelt passion, facing defeats, periods of crisis, breakdown, and a sense of helplessness, often fighting a losing battle with everything they have got. It’s personal. The NGO worker that sees a natural disaster take away the fruits of her work in the blink of an eye. The social entrepreneur getting exhausted from jumping through hoop after hoop, only to be denied funding just when the venture is ready to blossom. The corporate intrapreneur frustrated by feeling that, when push comes to shove, money does indeed trump impact. The philanthropist crashing under the weight of the responsibility to make the “right” choice. The non-profit leader who becomes a scapegoat for all the things that are wrong with the sector, and faces public scorn as a consequence of that. The impact investor that can no longer juggle the balance between doing good and generating returns, ending up alone between all chairs. The expat who spent 20 years in Africa, and now faces a return to a home that is no longer hers. The intrapreneur who, after decades of pushing the millstone up the hill, is dismissed in a corporate restructuring by new leadership that has a different priority.

Impact leaders are different, because they are more personally invested, and because they feel the stakes are higher. For impact leaders, failure is not just a personal issue – but one that affects many others, the people that are the cause of their commitment. Sometimes impact leaders really feel that the fate of the planet depends on the success of their work. This burden can weigh heavily, and is at the root of some of the cynicism, which also prevails in the impact space. Once hopes are crushed, for many, dismissing the naïve self one once was appears to be the only option left. It is though, an utterly sad and dysfunctional defence mechanism.

There is a better way. Targeted coaching can help impact leaders soften the blows of defeats, and allow them to rebuild their own narrative, finding meaning and hope in their work and life. Leadership and strategy work can help impact leaders sort through their experiences, and focus on what they really want – and decide which burden they want to carry. Targeted coaching, provided by a professional coach who sees eye to eye with the coachee, can create a safe space in which even the hardest truths can be discussed, and alternative strategies developed. In short, coaching for impact leaders holds the potential of empowerment, helping individuals thrive and boost their effectiveness. Those impact leaders will be well positioned to succeed in their missions, making the world a little better, one venture at a time.

This is why I have created Coaching for Impact, an initiative designed to provide targeted support to impact leaders through coaching, leadership work and strategic advice. It is my mission to help you fulfil yours. Coaching for Impact – True Impact starts with you.