What Kind of Changemaker Are You? (+ Quiz at the End)
Changemakers come in all shapes and sizes — find out what type you are
When I start questioning my ability to make a difference, I remember this quote:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead
The Civil Rights Movement began when Rosa Parks and a few others refused to give up their seats on a bus. Christianity was born with a dozen dedicated followers, spreading Jesus’ teachings. Any big change or movement started this way.
That’s the only way change can start.
The bottom line is that we’re all potential changemakers. But how much impact we have depends on how well we resource ourselves.
Do you know your strengths and weaknesses as an agent of change?
Do you have trusted self-care strategies you can fall back on when the going gets tough?
Do you know the shadow side of your psychological make-up?
If not, this article will be useful. By helping you name your changemaker type (or, changemaker personality), you’ll be better positioned to find the support you need.
Before we go there, let’s define who a changemaker is and what qualities they have. Alternatively, you can jump straight to the typology and quiz at the end. Have fun with it!
Table of Contents
- Who Is a Changemaker?
- What Are the Qualities of a Changemaker?
- The Changemaker Qualities in Action: Feminist Coalition in Nigeria
∘ Resilience
∘ Adaptability
∘ Empathy and emotional intelligence
∘ Long-term mindset
∘ Seeing challenge as opportunity - The Four Types of Changemaker: Which One Are You?
∘ The Doer
∘ The Organizer
∘ The Visionary
∘ The Mentor - Why Is It Important to Know Your Changemaker Type?
Who Is a Changemaker?
In 2016, Ashoka, an international network of social entrepreneurs, put together a report called More than Simply “Doing Good”: A Definition of Changemaker. In it, they analyze examples of social change from all around the world to pinpoint universal values, behaviors, and qualities of a changemaker.
They arrive at a simple yet powerful definition: “a changemaker is someone who is taking creative action to solve a social problem.”
Let’s unpack this a little.
- First of all, this definition suggests that virtually anyone can be a changemaker. It’s enough that you recognize a social issue and take action to address it. How big or small that action appears is relative. We all know the story of one teenager skipping school to bring attention to climate change, whose protest inspired a worldwide movement.
- Secondly, this definition puts more emphasis on action than on expertise. It levels the playing field. You don’t need years of experience or a grand plan to make a difference. Simply stepping out of oblivion and caring puts you in the shoes of a changemaker.
- Finally, Ashoka points towards creativity. This is a reminder that to find solutions to big problems, we need to go beyond our habitual ways of thinking. Albert Einstein put it well: “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.” A changemaker is someone who’s able to envision a new reality with a creative mind.
Changemakers come in all shapes, sizes, and roles. The most common groups of changemakers include:
- Professional changemakers. Here you’ll find non-profit employees, social workers, university professors, healthcare practitioners, professional environmentalists, and many others.
- Volunteers and community activists. These are typically folks associated with an organization, advocacy, or activist group. They don’t get paid for their change making work. At the same time, they’re typically those who put the most heart into it.
- Social entrepreneurs (or, socialpreneurs). Socialpreneurs create businesses that prioritize social cause over profit. A famous example of a social entrepreneur is Muhammad Yunus. He was awarded a Nobel Peace prize for starting Grameen Bank (now Grameen Foundation), giving microloans to women in Bangladesh to help them get out of poverty.
- Social intrapreneurs. Unlike social entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs develop social change solutions inside existing organizations, using their resources and infrastructure. As an example, a research scientist from GSK initiated developing cheap diagnostic kits that can be used to prevent deaths from easily treatable diseases in rural Kenya.
- Artists. We don’t always remember this, but artists can be changemakers, too. Think of a film, book, music track, photograph, or a piece of visual art that stopped you to think about important issues. Surely people who created them had a changemaker mindset.
- Informal changemakers. Finally, there are millions of anonymous changemakers around the world, who do good deeds on a daily basis. They often make direct impact on their family, community, or neighborhood. Parents and caregivers are first on the list — alongside other unaffiliated folks taking creative action to solve problems locally.
Even though changemakers show up in different roles and act at different scale, they have a lot in common. Let’s look at the characteristics most of them share.
What Are the Qualities of a Changemaker?
“Changemakers identify problems and see it as an opportunity to build a solution. They apply the critical skills of empathy, teamwork and leadership to make a positive impact.” — Ashoka, Innovators for the Public
Even though there are many types of changemakers, there’s so much similarity between them. Because they’re all driven to make change happen, they often develop particular character traits and behaviors.
Different sources define them slightly differently — here are a few examples.
1. The Ashoka team speaks about four “changemaker abilities.” They frame them as traits that result from steady practice and dedication to social change: (1) cognitive empathy, (2) fluid teamwork, (3) shared leadership, and (4) creative problem-solving.
2. Researchers at the University of Northampton created a list of “changemaker attributes” to help them embed social innovation and impact into their courses. They named fourtneen of them:
- Self-confidence
- Perseverance
- Internal locus of control
- Self-awareness
- Action orientation
- Innovation and creativity
- Critical thinking
- Empathy
- Reflective
- Communication
- Emotional intelligence and social intelligence
- Problem solving
- Leader
- Values-driven
3. Speaker and author of Generation Share, Benita Matofska names six traits that define a changemaker: (1) they share resources for the benefit of all; (2) they reinvent the rules; (3) they’re prepared to adapt along the way; (4) they put their heart into everything they do; (5) they maintain a positive attitude; (6) they consider the long-term perspective.
These typologies all point towards similar qualities. Within them, there’s a mix of psychological traits (a changemaker mindset) and behavioral ones (types of action that a changemaker takes). But, it’s one thing to theorize about them and another to see them in practice.
In the next section, we’ll look at a display of flagship changemaker traits in real life. It’s a story of how a grassroots Feminist Coalition in Nigeria supported 183 #endSARS protests that overtook the country in October 2020.
The Changemaker Qualities in Action: Feminist Coalition in Nigeria
It started in July 2020. Thirteen Nigerian women — entrepreneurs, writers, lawyers, consultants — came together to form the Feminist Coalition. Their mission was (and is) to “champion equality for women in Nigerian society with a core focus on education, financial freedom and representation in public office.”
Little did they know about how soon they’d be called to action.
Just a few months after FC incorporation, videos started circulating social media, displaying acts of abuse from the Nigerian Police Force’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). These included harassing, shooting, and killing unarmed citizens. Acts of violence from SARS had been known for years, yet October 2020 was the tipping point. Young Nigerians took to the streets, demanding the government to shut down the special unit. The #endSARS hashtag became omnipresent.
Until then, the Feminist Coalition hadn’t had any formal projects. They quickly decided that supporting leaderless #endSARS protests would be their first one. As the founding member Ire Aderinokun told Elle.com, the initial plan of action was “organized over a one-hour phone call.” Within days, they “designed a logo, set up the website, got some copy assets together, set up our social media, set up the donation accounts, the request forms, the tracking sheets.”
In the following weeks and as the protests became bloody, the Feminist Coalition continued to support the protesters in various ways. Their report from March 2021 outlines how the donations of over 87,000,000 nairas (which equaled more than $200,000 at the time) were spent on medical costs, clothes, food, mental health support, legal support, security, and other expenses. The fund also covered the production of “Memorial for the Fallen” — a documentary preserving the memory of the police brutality victims in Nigeria.
As Dipo Faloyin writes in Africa Is Not a Country, “the women built a state within a state, showing more nation-building ability than Nigeria’s ruling class have managed in decades.”
The Feminist Coalition displayed a remarkable level of empathy, integrity, and responsiveness to the crisis. They put many of the changemaker qualities into action. Through that, they became an inspiring example of what Margaret Mead spoke about — how a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Resilience
The Feminist Coalition’s support of the protests was heavily suppressed by the Nigerian government. A lawsuit was issued against them and they were banned from leaving the country. Even so, the FC members persisted. The group continues to operate until today.
Adaptability
After the government decision to block their bank accounts, a moment came when the Feminist Coalition couldn’t receive donations. They quickly dealt with that by switching to accept Bitcoin.
Empathy and emotional intelligence
Beyond material support, the women of the Feminist Coalition understood the mental, emotional, and spiritual damage of police brutality. They used a substantial chunk of the funds on mental health and other kinds of support for families of the victims.
Long-term mindset
Even though the protests finally led to shutting down SARS, the government created another unit in its place — the Special Weapons and Tactics Team. SARS officers were invited to apply for positions.
Despite that, the FC didn’t see the protests as a failure. They understood that their impact created a precedent for scalable civic action that can inspire the nation in the years to come.
Seeing challenge as opportunity
When the #endSARS protests started and police brutality escalated in October 2020, the FC saw this as an opportunity for change. By swiftly responding to the crisis, they didn’t just support the protesters. They also established themselves as an organization. Ire Aderinokun said that: “Feminist Coalition as it’s known today was literally a reality overnight.”
The Four Types of Changemaker: Which One Are You?
So far, we’ve looked at a definition of a changemaker, their typical qualities, and how these showed up in the work of the Feminist Coalition in Nigeria.
Now it’s time to look at different changemaker types and their uniqueness.
Your type will be a combination of personality, preferences, talents, and shadow. These will dictate what roles you’re more or less comfortable taking. Knowing your type can help leverage your strengths and account for weaknesses, and maximize your social impact as a result.
The typology below is inspired by the work of Ashoka, The Story of Stuff Project, as well as my own observations from working with different changemaker communities. Take it with a grain of salt — this isn’t supposed to define you once and for all. At the same time, you may find parts of yourself in these personas.
It’s my pleasure to introduce you to the Doer, the Organizer, the Visionary, and the Mentor.
1. The Doer
Often shows up as: social worker, activist, NGO-supporter, health worker.
Where you shine and what motivates you is direct action. To you, creating change means getting your hands dirty and doing on-the-ground, practical work.
It can literally be about using your hands: planting trees, helping to grow a community garden, cleaning up your neighborhood. Or maybe it has more to do with people? You could be the first to support community members in need — helping an elderly neighbor, mentoring a teenager, or advocating for a marginalized group.
You’re not afraid of hard work. In fact, you enjoy it way more than making grand plans. You’re happy to follow instructions as long as they help you focus on what you do best. Seeing direct results of your work — a vegetable patch clear of weeds, children smiling after a day of play, a list of names signed under a petition — makes your heart sing.
Because you of your practical outlook, you’re well connected to the community. You understand their needs and context, which makes your contribution relevant and on-point.
To learn about the shadow side and self-care recommendations for the Doer, take the CivLead Changemaker Quiz!
2. The Organizer
Often shows up as: social entrepreneur, community organizer, event coordinator.
You’re able to make things happen that are greater than the sum of their parts. That’s because one of your big talents is bringing people together.
It happens naturally when you talk to people. A friend tells you about an idea for a project, and you immediately know who they should contact. A co-worker is looking for a hip conference venue, and you can’t help but give recommendations. You may not even notice it — but making those kinds of connections, is a superpower of yours.
You find it easy to both speak and listen, which means you hold lots of information about the community you’re in. That’s what makes it easy to connect the dots and spot opportunities. You’re used to working with diverse groups of people and know how to delegate tasks. You may be working as a project manager or event coordinator, and play some kind of organizing role as a changemaker.
You love seeing other people connect and collaborate. The moments you enjoy yourself the most is when you see your friends play, grow, and have a meaningful time together.
To learn about the shadow side and self-care recommendations for the Organizer, take the CivLead Changemaker Quiz!
3. The Visionary
Often shows up as: political campaigner, online influencer, artist, public speaker, journalist.
Your superpower is holding a complex vision in mind and communicating it to others. People sense charisma and confidence in you, and they respect your opinion. Because of that, it’s quite easy for you to get others on board with an idea or plan. It’s obvious that you have a clear direction and know where you’re headed.
You’re committed to your values and beliefs — and, you don’t just talk about them. They show in your actions, too. You always follow through on what you say you’ll do. You have real integrity and speak from your heart more often than not.
You like thinking about complex social phenomena and discussing them with others. When you envision change, you hold different stakeholders and their perspectives in mind. You’re also able to zoom out into the big picture and imagine the implications of today’s actions years into the future.
To learn about the shadow side and self-care recommendations for the Visionary, take the CivLead Changemaker Quiz!
4. The Mentor
Often shows up as: facilitator, investor, educator, trustee, philanthropist.
One thing is clear: you have a lot of experience and resources you’ve accumulated over the years. And, you’re itching to offer them to your community! It might be that you’ve already joined a board of trustees, became a mentor, or invested money in a promising idea. Or, you’re still looking for an opportunity to share your knowledge and resources in service of a social cause.
You consider yourself a hard-working, diligent individual — this has helped you become successful. However, you also recognize the role your privilege played in your journey, as well as the support you received along the way. You feel that now is your time to give back and create opportunities for others.
You’re honest about what is and isn’t your area of expertise — and hence, what you can help with. You may be supporting young activists, entrepreneurs, and community builders to save them the mistakes you’ve made.
To learn about the shadow side and self-care recommendations for the Mentor, take the CivLead Changemaker Quiz!
Why Is It Important to Know Your Changemaker Type?
Do you recognize yourself in any of the above? Or maybe they remind you of someone you know, someone who inspires you, someone who triggers you?
This is all important information. Realizing what type of changemaker you are (and what types you’re surrounded by) contributes to your self-awareness. The more you recognize your strengths, shadows, and habitual behaviors, the more you know how to work with them. Many studies have shown that increased self-awareness contributes to better decision-making, relationships, health, and effectiveness as a leader.
Want to boost your impact as a changemaker and increase self-awareness?
Take our quiz and find out what kind of changemaker you are. You’ll receive a detailed description of your shadow side, as well as self-care tips tailored to your type.
