What Charity Leaders told us on Sustainable Leadership in 2025
December 19th 2025 | Posted by Emily Formby
Throughout 2025, we’ve spoken with hundreds of charity leaders across the UK.
These conversations included Chief Executives, COOs, Finance Directors, Chairs and Trustees. They lead organisations of all sizes, from small community charities to national charities with complex operating models.
One theme came up again and again.
The biggest challenge facing charity leaders isn’t a lack of strategy or ambition.
It’s the relentless pace of leadership.
Leaders described a constant stream of decisions, competing priorities and urgent demands, alongside the unspoken expectation to remain calm, confident and available at all times.
Even in charities that are performing well, many leaders talked about shrinking headspace. Not because they don’t know what to do, but because there’s little space left to think.
The hidden loneliness of charity leadership
Another theme surfaced quietly but consistently: loneliness.
Charity CEOs, in particular, spoke about the isolation that comes with the role.
Public-facing. Mission-led. Emotionally invested. And often without a safe space to debrief internally.
Many leaders described absorbing pressure to protect their teams while feeling unable to show doubt themselves. Over time, this takes a toll and is one of the reasons experienced charity leaders step away earlier than planned.
Those who felt most supported shared one thing in common: they had strong peer networks, trusted Chairs, or access to coaching and mentoring outside their organisation.
Support wasn’t a luxury. It was a leadership necessity.
Capacity, structure and the limits of doing it all
We also heard repeatedly about capacity strain at senior level.
As charities grow, CEOs often hold too much responsibility across operations, people, delivery, risk and strategy. This is rarely about control. More often, it reflects stretched resources and the perceived risk of letting go.
Leaders told us that real change happened when they strengthened the structure around them. That might mean a trusted COO, a clearer senior leadership team, or more defined decision-making across the organisation.
Leadership works best when it’s shared. Sustainable impact rarely comes from one person carrying everything.
Boards, governance and trust
Boards featured heavily in these conversations.
Where the relationship between CEOs and Trustees was strong, leaders described greater clarity, trust and timely decision-making. Where it was weaker, frustration often built quietly. This was usually linked to blurred boundaries, limited time or unclear expectations.
The most effective charity boards were not necessarily more hands-on. They were clearer about their role, more open in communication, and more honest about capacity on both sides.
What sustainable charity leadership really needs
The leaders who felt most sustainable in 2025 weren’t doing more.
They had created space:
- space to think strategically
- space to share uncertainty
- space to lead without carrying everything alone
They had permission to say, “I don’t have all the answers.”
And support built into the system, not added only when things became difficult.
What this means for Charity Recruit
At Charity Recruit, these conversations directly shape how we work.
We support charities to recruit senior leaders with a clear understanding of the leadership capacity required, both now and as organisations grow.
Because effective charity leadership is not about heroic individuals. It is about building the right structures, partnerships and teams so leaders, and missions, can thrive in the long term.
As we move into 2026, we’ll continue sharing honest insight from across the sector and supporting boards and executives to build leadership teams that are sustainable, resilient and fit for the future.
