Before he became CEO, Alastair was a student on the very first cohort of School for Social Entrepreneurs back in 1998, as a result of attending SSE he set up his own social enterprise which he ran for 3 years.

These first-hand experiences have shaped his leadership style, here he gives his top 5 leadership lessons for social entrepreneurs:

1. It’s lonely being a leader – you’ll soon learn that there is no right or wrong way to lead, you just have to trust your instinct and have confidence in your own way of doing things.
2. Temper your expectations – sometimes you have to learn from your mistakes and correct things as you go. It’s good to have vision with milestones you can reach along the way to avoid the trap of getting too fixated on your end goal of ‘success’.
3. Find a balance between being Strategic and Opportunistic – it’s important to think entrepreneurially and be nimble when it comes to opportunities but don’t do this at the expense of your strategy. At the same time, don’t be so rigid that you miss opportunities and stagnate – you have to find the right balance.
4. It’s a small world – it’s important to maintain your integrity and relationships with people, you never know when your paths might cross again.
5. Admit your fears and weaknesses – being honest with yourself about where you struggle is essential, but at the same time don’t get too hung up on those areas. The most important thing is to be yourself and have confidence.