Are charities losing a generation of leaders?

Our sector is changing and changing fast. We’re not just witnessing a change in working practices but a generational change in leadership. At the ACOSVO conference at the end of last year, the change in age of the delegates was evident by hair colour. There were a lot less grey hairs than previously, and it wasn’t just down to hair dye. Many of the younger CEOs present were from small organisations. It’s a good ground to prove yourself and gain experience across a whole organisation. Smaller organisations are often more willing to take a risk and allow someone to grow into the role. But what does this mean for senior managers of larger organisations? Does specialising in a business area within a large organisation mean you’re less likely to make it right to the top job?

Does specialising in a business area within a large organisation mean you’re less likely to make it right to the top job?

I’m aware of several very capable senior managers who have been passed over for promotion to top jobs in favour of people that have ‘done it’ already in smaller organisations despite the fact that their budgets, size of team and exposure to top level decision makers is much higher than most CEOs in smaller organisations. So this leaves me wondering, if this is down to the Board’s perception of risk? Or is ageism playing a part, as the people I know have all been surpassed by someone born in the decade before them? Or is it just a coincidence and it’s all down to fit and skills? As the way we work changes: embracing more digital first solutions and adapting to the millennial generation’s ways of working, perhaps this generation of senior specialists will increasingly be passed over for the top job? Not sure what this means for the advice I should give next time I’m asked about careers in the third sector.