---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is nothing more powerful than a new…"
description: "\"There is nothing more powerful than a new idea in the hands of a social entrepreneur\" — Bill Drayton"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/bill-drayton-12716_business_there-is-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-ne_2332986.png"
---

#  There is nothing more powerful than a new idea in the…

![“There is nothing more powerful than a new idea in the hands of a social entrepreneur” quote by Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/bill-drayton-12716_business_there-is-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-ne_2332986.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/bill-drayton-12716_business_there-is-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-ne_2332986.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/bill-drayton-12716_business_there-is-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-ne_2332986.png)

> “There is nothing more powerful than a new idea in the hands of a social entrepreneur”

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A new idea, when wielded by a social entrepreneur, becomes a transformative force for societal change.

**In simple terms:** New ideas + social entrepreneurs = powerful change.

Key Takeaway

Empower social entrepreneurs with innovative ideas.

Themes

social impact entrepreneurship innovation

Mood

inspirational urgent

Type

motivational strategic

When to use this quote

- nonprofit leadership
- community projects
- policy advocacy

Key Concepts

systems change social capital

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you support social innovators?
- What barriers limit idea impact?

A Different Perspective

Ideas need resources and networks to scale.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Entrepreneur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneur/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Idea Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-hands-5618844/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [New idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-idea/) [New ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-ideas/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Powerful New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful-new-5618843/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social Entrepreneur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-entrepreneur-469357/)

## Related quotes

> [The job of a social entrepreneur is to recognize when a part of society is stuck &amp; to provide new ways to get it unstuck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/the-job-of-a-social-entrepreneur-is-to-recognize-when-a-part-of/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [“The first - the most obvious (test of a true social entrepreneur) - is are they possessed, really possessed by an idea... The idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/the-first-the-most-obvious-test-of-a-true-social-entrepreneur-is-are-2/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [“Entrepreneurial quality - is by far the toughest (criterion for a social entrepreneur).. For every one thousand people who are creative and altruistic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/entrepreneurial-quality-is-by-far-the-toughest-criterion-for-a-social/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [The life purpose of the true social entrepreneur is to change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/the-life-purpose-of-the-true-social-entrepreneur-is-to-change-the/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [The first - the most obvious test of a true social entrepreneur - is are they possessed, really possessed by an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/the-first-the-most-obvious-test-of-a-true-social-entrepreneur-is-are/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [A social entrepreneur is somebody who knows how to make an idea reality, and one of the great ideas of our time is pluralism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/a-social-entrepreneur-is-somebody-who-knows-how-to-make-an-idea/)

[Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/)

> [There is no such thing as a new idea. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-new-idea-we-simply-take-a-lot-of-old/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [A new idea is obsolete in seconds, right? I just said it and now it's obsolete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/a-new-idea-is-obsolete-in-seconds-right-i-just-said-it-and-now-it-s/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [Every time a man puts a new idea across, he faces a dozen men who thought of it before he did. But they only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-arnold/every-time-a-man-puts-a-new-idea-across-he-faces-a-dozen-men-who/)

[Oren Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-arnold/)

> [Creativity is a by-product of hard work. If I never have another really new idea, it won't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/creativity-is-a-by-product-of-hard-work-if-i-never-have-another/)

[Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/)

> [The World requires at least ten years to understand a new idea, however important or simple it may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-ross/the-world-requires-at-least-ten-years-to-understand-a-new-idea/)

[Ronald Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-ross/)

> [The fact is that one new idea leads to another, that to a third and so on through a course of time, until someone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-fact-is-that-one-new-idea-leads-to-another-that-to-a-third-and-so/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [Sometimes an old idea gets relegated to the back of the line in the mad delight of a new idea, one you've never had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/sometimes-an-old-idea-gets-relegated-to-the-back-of-the-line-in-the/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [Most new discoveries are suddenly-seen things that were always there. A new idea is a light that illuminates presences which simply had no form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/most-new-discoveries-are-suddenly-seen-things-that-were-always-there/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [If there's a new idea, a new invention, or a new gas, or a new whatever you know, It should be brought at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/if-there-s-a-new-idea-a-new-invention-or-a-new-gas-or-a-new-whatever/)

[Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/)

## More by Bill Drayton

> [Imagine a world where everyone is really a change maker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/imagine-a-world-where-everyone-is-really-a-change-maker/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [An entrepreneur is someone who brings a pattern change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/an-entrepreneur-is-someone-who-brings-a-pattern-change/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [White House cultures inevitably reflect the president's character. Jimmy Carter is a thoroughly honest, good person. So was his White House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/white-house-cultures-inevitably-reflect-the-president-s-character/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [The most powerful force in the world is a big idea- if it is the hands of a great entrepreneur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/the-most-powerful-force-in-the-world-is-a-big-idea-if-it-is-the-hands/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [What is our job as entrepreneurs if not to change things that are crazy?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/what-is-our-job-as-entrepreneurs-if-not-to-change-things-that-are/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [What is the most powerful lever you can imagine? A big idea, but only if it's in the hands of a truly outstanding entrepreneur.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/what-is-the-most-powerful-lever-you-can-imagine-a-big-idea-but-only/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [In 1962, when I was 19, I visited India. With introductions from people involved in the U.S. civil rights movement, I was able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/in-1962-when-i-was-19-i-visited-india-with-introductions-from-people/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [You can't be a change-maker by reading a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/you-can-t-be-a-change-maker-by-reading-a-book/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [What does an entrepreneur do? The first thing is they've given themselves permission to see a problem. Most people don't want to see problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/what-does-an-entrepreneur-do-the-first-thing-is-they-ve-given/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [The biggest problem is getting beyond the "you can't" syndrome. The moment you figure that out, you're on your way to flying. Anyone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/the-biggest-problem-is-getting-beyond-the-you-can-t-syndrome-the/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [The first - the most obvious test of a true social entrepreneur - is are they possessed, really possessed by an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/the-first-the-most-obvious-test-of-a-true-social-entrepreneur-is-are/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/social-entrepreneurs-are-not-content-just-to-give-a-fish-or-teach-how/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [We have to teach empathy as we do literacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/we-have-to-teach-empathy-as-we-do-literacy/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [How could any entrepreneur, confronted by such amazing opportunities to help transform the world and to do so with such extraordinary colleagues, be tempted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/how-could-any-entrepreneur-confronted-by-such-amazing-opportunities/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

> [We started Ashoka here in India with a simple idea: that you needed social entrepreneurs to deal with problems that don't fit the business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/we-started-ashoka-here-in-india-with-a-simple-idea-that-you-needed/)

[Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

[Explore all 53 Bill Drayton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/)

## More Business quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/)

[Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There is nothing more powerful than a new idea in the hands of a social entrepreneur",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bill Drayton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/there-is-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-new-idea-in-the-hands-of-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/there-is-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-new-idea-in-the-hands-of-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/bill-drayton-12716_business_there-is-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-ne_2332986.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/bill-drayton-12716_business_there-is-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-ne_2332986.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/bill-drayton-12716_business_there-is-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-ne_2332986.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There is nothing more powerful than a new idea in the hands of a social entrepreneur” — Bill Drayton",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bill Drayton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There is nothing more powerful than...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/there-is-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-new-idea-in-the-hands-of-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/there-is-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-new-idea-in-the-hands-of-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
