The energy of learning and self-discovery filled the room as social entrepreneurs of the Instellar & IKEA Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator (I-SEA) came together for a core component of the programme – Leadership Training. The programme focused on understanding leadership from a different perspective: the way we learn. More than just discussing leadership theories, changemakers were invited to reflect on their habits, behaviors, and personal approaches to growth—both as individuals and as leaders within their social enterprises.
Building Leadership Through Reflection
The first day of the programmes focused on leadership awareness and self-reflection. Through group discussions, interactive activities, and shared experiences, social entrepreneurs were explored what leadership means within the context of social entrepreneurship. Rather than focusing solely on theories, the session emphasized the importance of understanding personal habits, communication styles, and approaches to working with others.
Throughout the activities, I-SEA Changemakers reflected on the realities of leading social enterprises—balancing fast-moving challenges, managing teams, and making decisions while staying grounded in their mission. These conversations created an open space for changemakers to discuss both their strengths and the areas they still want to develop as leaders. One of the changemakers, Ben Dobbs, CTO of Parongpong Raw Lab, shared how the programme encouraged him to rethink the way he leads:
“What I’m going to do is a little bit more self-reflection on my leadership style. I realize there are different kinds of leaders, different kinds of characteristics. I want to re-evaluate what I’m doing and then lead my team a bit differently to make sure my leadership is more effective.”
The programme was also an important reminder that leadership is not something social entrepreneurs need to wait for—it already exists within them. Jay Lamb, Associate Facilitator at Social Enterprise Academy, who lead the training programme, shared his hope that changemakers would leave the programme with a stronger sense of confidence and self-awareness:
“My main hope for them is they see that they already are leaders, understand themselves better, and maximize the amazing qualities they already have.”
Exploring Honey Mumford’s Learning Styles
On the second day, the changemakers explored leadership from another perspective: the way people learn. Through Honey Mumford’s Learning Styles framework, the session introduced four different learning preferences—activist (learning by doing), reflector (learning by observing and reflecting), theorist (learn through logic and concepts), and pragmatist (learn by applying ideas).
I-SEA Changemakers discovered that people process information, approach challenges, and absorb knowledge differently, and these differences often shape the way they communicate, collaborate, and lead teams. Rather than encouraging social entrepreneurs to rely on only one learning preference, the programme emphasized the importance of going through a complete learning cycle.
For many changemakers, this became a valuable opportunity to recognize their own patterns. Some realized they tend to move quickly into execution without enough reflection, while others noticed they spend too much time analyzing before taking action. These discussions encouraged social entrepreneurs to become more aware of how their learning habits influence both their leadership style and team dynamics.
As the programme wrapped up, I-SEA Changemakers left with fresh perspectives and practical reflections to bring back into their organizations—whether through becoming more intentional in communication, creating better learning environments for their teams, or taking more time to reflect before acting. Through reflection & shared learning , the I-SEA Leadership Training continues to support changemakers in building leadership that is thoughtful, adaptive, and grounded in continuous growth.