Balancing Head and Heart in Social Entrepreneurship
by Dr. Sheila Sweeney, PhD, LICSW | Founder, Dr. Sheila Sweeney Enterprises
When I stepped into the first week of the FINNOVATION Discovery Module, I didn’t expect the mirror it would hold up to me — not just as a founder, but as a person. I thought I was here to refine my business model, sharpen my strategy, and learn more about scaling. All of that is true. But what I didn’t expect was how much this journey would call me to pause, to reflect on who I am as a leader, and to face the patterns that both fuel my success and threaten to hold me back.
When Strengths Become Saboteurs
As part of the program, I took an assessment that identified my top “saboteurs.” My two strongest? Hyper-Rational and Hyper-Achiever — tied at the top.
That pairing made so much sense. The rational side of me seeks control through logic, analysis, and strategy. I’ve always found security in knowing I’ve examined something from every angle. It’s part of what makes me a strong strategist and visionary.
The achiever side of me is all hustle and resilience. I know how to push through, how to keep building, how to create something from nothing. That drive is part of why I was able to launch Dr. Sheila Sweeney Enterprises and build a new model of self-guided reflection and healing that makes care more accessible outside the traditional therapy room.
But together? These two voices convince me that rest is weakness, vulnerability is distraction, and my worth is only as strong as my latest achievement. That mindset doesn’t just wear me down — it risks pulling my business off balance.
Lessons for Leadership
For social entrepreneurs, the line between personal growth and business growth is thin. My saboteurs don’t just live in my head; they show up in my company.
Hyper-Rational makes delegation harder, because I tell myself no one will analyze or protect my work the way I do. That creates distance from potential collaborators and slows down team building.
Hyper-Achiever ties my worth to success metrics, making setbacks feel like failures instead of lessons. It also creates a culture where results overshadow rest, creativity, or authentic connection — the very ingredients that sustain innovation.
Restless and Stickler (my next two saboteurs) push me into constant motion and perfectionism, fragmenting my focus and slowing down launches.
In a venture built on healing and reflection, those habits are not just personal challenges — they could undercut the very impact I want to create.
Finding the Antidotes
The gift of reflection is that it also reveals antidotes:
For Hyper-Rational: Practice empathy and emotional awareness alongside strategy. Ask in meetings, what’s the energy under the surface here? Value feelings as much as facts.
For Hyper-Achiever: Anchor my worth in being, not doing. Build routines that honor rest, presence, and unstructured creativity.
For Restless: Commit to one quarterly priority and finish it before chasing the next shiny idea.
For Stickler: Choose progress over perfection — remembering that real impact requires iteration, not polish.
For Avoider/Controller: Rehearse hard conversations with thought partners or trusted colleagues, and practice boundaries, so I don’t try to carry everything alone.
These are not just personal shifts; they are leadership practices. They are ways of showing up that allow social entrepreneurship to be both sustainable and deeply human. This is the work I do with organizations — and now, it’s the work I must do with myself, wholeheartedly.
Why This Matters for Social Impact
Social entrepreneurship asks us to innovate where traditional systems fall short. I am building a model that brings healing into everyday spaces — homes, workplaces, communities — without waitlists or the barriers of cost and access. But innovation requires both discipline and imagination, both logic and vulnerability.
If I only lead from my rational mind, I lose connection. If I only lead from achievement, I risk burnout for myself and for those who walk with me. But if I can integrate the two — head and heart, achievement and presence — then I create not just a product, but a movement grounded in both impact and sustainability.
That balance is the real work of social entrepreneurship. And it’s the lesson I’m carrying forward from my first weeks of the fellowship: growth for me as a CEO is not just about scaling strategy but about choosing every day to lead in balance, not sabotage. Rest, not just relentless doing. Slow mornings, not just go-go-go momentum.
It’s time to turn the corner and invite in new ways, new antidotes, new practices that sustain and not drain.
I wonder…what would balance look like for you, in your work, your leadership, or your entrepreneurial journey?
About the Author
Dr. Sheila Sweeney, PhD, LICSW
Dr. Sheila Sweeney, PhD, LICSW, is the founder and CEO of Dr. Sheila Sweeney Enterprises, home to Peaces ’n PuzSouls Inc. and The Unapologetically Healing Collection. Her work centers on reflective practice, healing-centered engagement, and building accessible tools for self-guided care. She also partners with organizations to integrate reflective leadership practices, support trauma-informed systems, and cultivate sustainable workplace cultures. Connect with Dr. Sheila on LinkedIn for more reflections on social entrepreneurship, healing-centered leadership, and innovation.