People power : supporting activities with a social benefit

Many people around the world are taking action to address the problems that matter to them and their community, from anti-social behaviour to unaffordable healthcare to institutional corruption. Many more people have the potential to make a difference in their community. Their collective knowledge, skills, abilities and personal attributes are the building blocks of social change. While there is a growing emphasis on the role of disciplines such as design, behavioural science and digital technology in social innovation, people need to develop and exchange a range of attributes to understand problems and implement ideas. In this article I review some of the individual and environmental factors that are predictive of creative performance and entrepreneurial success, and highlight areas of opportunity for how to help more people get involved in activities with a social benefit.