Social entrepreneurs identify the problems in society, trace the root causes of the problems and endeavor to solve them. Through this approach, they try to apply their entrepreneurial abilities to bring about social change. They gauge their success in terms of the impact of their efforts on society.

This paper presents a study on social entrepreneurship, the social entrepreneurs in particular, and highlights the behavioral traits possessed by these rare breed of leaders. The study first introduces the concept of social entrepreneurship and then gives a brief introduction to the sample social entrepreneurs and the activities of their organizations. Finally, it presents an analysis of the opinions drawn on the listed traits which a social entrepreneur is expected to possess.

Social Entrepreneurship, private sector, Lynn Barendsen, Howard Gardener, leadership, Human resources, comparative analysis, private sector, liberalization, philanthropy.