By Philip Barron, CEO, Richmond Foundation
The business of the day leaves little opportunity for personal development. Leaders of small charities often have limited people to turn to, which makes having a protected space focused purely on supporting them — their wellbeing, their leadership, and them alone — incredibly precious.
As CEOs, we may be supported by our chairs and trustees, our senior team and our life partners. But these support lines are not always available in the ways we need. Chairs may not have the experience, emotional capacity or time to fully support their CEO. And the time we do spend together is usually focused on organisational issues, not our own development. It becomes easy to sacrifice our needs in order to keep the charity moving forward.
The transformational power of having “thinking space”
I first experienced what genuine protected time could feel like in 2018 through the Clore Social Leadership Programme. At the time, I had just started my first CEO role at Young Westminster Foundation. The coaching and action learning sets I took part in were a revelation. They gave me structured space to stop, think and reflect — something I didn’t realise I had been missing. That experience was transformative, and it inspired me to complete an executive leadership coaching qualification.
Since then, creating that same kind of space for others has become an important part of how I lead.
Supporting other leaders through coaching and mentoring
In my current role as CEO of Richmond Foundation, I lead through collaboration and coaching, working closely with my team to bring out their best and help guide the charity forward. Alongside this, I coach and mentor a cohort of leaders — some from our funded partners, and others I’ve met through the ACEVO mentoring scheme. Not all are CEOs. Many are managers or aspiring leaders referred by partner organisations, who bring fresh perspectives and energy.
Across these sessions, I see the same pattern I recognised in myself years ago: leaders rarely have a dedicated, confidential space to process the complexity of their roles. Mentoring and coaching fill that gap.
What leaders bring into the room
Through this work, a few themes appear again and again:
- Trustees: Navigating relationships with trustees, board effectiveness and trustee behaviour can feel like tricky waters. Many CEOs struggle with being fully honest about these dynamics.
- HR issues: Team structures, behaviours and redundancy situations are among the issues that keep leaders awake at 3am.
- Strategy development: Even experienced CEOs value someone who can help them think through long-term direction. A seasoned leader I mentor recently asked me to hold them accountable for the “big issues”, a reminder that no one outgrows the need for support.
- Personal development: Making space for their own wellbeing and growth is the area leaders most often neglect — and benefit from most when they’re given time to explore it.
Mentoring as mutual learning
I usually work with mentees over a minimum of six online sessions, following an initial face-to-face meeting. That first conversation is where we set clear objectives and agree what the mentee needs most from our time together.
By the end of our sessions, I often see leaders from small charities feeling more confident and grounded in their roles. Many express gratitude for the support and some find it difficult to bring the relationship to a close. Staying in touch informally can be a delicate balance alongside the demands of my CEO role, but maintaining these supportive networks feels important.
I always ask for honest feedback at the end of our work together. It helps mentees reflect on their progress and allows me to refine my approach. Mentoring is not a one-way street — it’s mutual learning. I gain new insights into charity leadership, governance and practice from every conversation. It’s a privilege to be part of other leaders’ journeys, just as others were part of mine.
If you are interested in mentoring, either as a mentee or a mentor, please see ACEVO’s mentoring programme.
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