On the radio recently, I heard Gordon Brown discussing his new book on the decline of civic life. His research suggests that, across Western countries, only half of citizens belong to a civic organisation and around a quarter are active in their community each month.

Brown describes a collective blind spot: a collapsed bridge or failed bank would demand immediate action, yet the gradual weakening of community organisations and relationships generates less urgency. The consequences include isolation, declining trust and fewer opportunities to come together, with profound implications for society and democracy.

If we are serious about reversing that decline, we must invest in community organisations.

But investing in organisations also means investing in the people who lead them. That requires us to think differently about what leadership development looks like and who it is for.

Leadership does not always come with a leadership title

I think, if we are honest, our sector we can default to a conventional image of a leader - a chief executive with a team and time to think strategically.

At Cranfield Trust many of the people our volunteers support have a different reality. Chief executives also lead finance, marketing and services. They write the strategy and fix the leak. Leadership is exercised by service managers, founders, volunteers coordinating activities in their spare time and trustees stepping forward because somebody needed to.

These people are getting on with what needs to be done providing vital support. They may not think of themselves as leaders at all. Yet choosing to step forward and play a part in a community organisation in 2026 is an act of leadership. Development designed only for those with the right title, confidence or time for a formal programme risks overlooking a critical section of leaders.

Our ambition should go beyond preparing a few people for senior roles. We should help people lead well wherever they are, building the depth of skills organisations need.

Our data from over 600 charities, identified leadership development and succession planning as areas needing sustained investment. It's clear succession planning cannot wait for a vacancy: people need opportunities to build skills, confidence and experience much earlier.

Capacity issues

In their work our volunteers see commitment, resourcefulness and deep community knowledge across small charities. The problem is not a lack of leadership qualities, but access to support taken for granted elsewhere.

Money matters. Learning budgets are scarce, and spending internally can feel like diverting funds from the frontline. But we know that making development free does not automatically make it accessible.

Our Right Support, Right Time research highlighted demand for shorter, practical support, mentoring and peer connection.

Time and format matter, alongside the expectation that developing ourselves is not really what we are here to do. We need to challenge that assumption and make development feel like a legitimate part of the job.

Funders responding to our research highlighted leadership capacity and wellbeing as significant concerns. They recognise that overstretched, isolated leaders create organisational risk. Development sustains the mission.

Development designed around real lives

Structured and linear leadership programmes have an important place but cannot be the only model. Rather than expecting busy community leaders to reorganise their lives around development, we should design it around their lives and work.

That means shorter interventions alongside longer programmes: advice when a difficult decision arises, learning through a live organisational challenge, mentoring over time or structured peer support.

We intend to scale this support, creating space for people to reflect, work through challenges and learn alongside others who understand their circumstances.

Practical fundamentals are part of leadership

Vision, values and self-awareness matter for good leaders, but so do strategy, governance, finance, risk and people management. I worry in our talk of leadership we can overlook that running an organisation well is a core part of organisational leadership.
Practical capability gives people the foundation to lead confidently.

Technology and AI can improve access to knowledge and connect people to support. We should embrace that opportunity. But information alone is not development.

Understanding an organisation’s history, recognising what is not being said and offering reassurance still require human judgement and connection. Our volunteers bring that experience alongside their specialist expertise.

Developing our leader support

Over the coming months, we will develop our leadership offer for small charity and community leaders, building on mentoring, peer support, practical learning and expert advice.

We are grateful to the Garfield Weston Foundation for supporting this approach, helping us bring these elements together, reach more leaders and understand what works.

There will be different ways in, with clear pathways that need not be linear. This will not be an exclusive club. Someone might approach us with a practical problem rather than a desire for “leadership development”. Support could be brief or become a deeper relationship, shaped around the person, their organisation and their needs.

Leaders are multipliers of impact. Greater confidence, capability and resilience strengthen teams, organisations and the communities they serve. Supporting the people who hold communities together is part of society’s essential infrastructure.

Dan Francis is chief executive of leadership support charity Cranfield Trust.

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