What is leadership in 2025?

I remember going on a course about leadership, it must be 15 or more years ago now, and one of the first exercises was for us to come up with examples of good leaders and discuss what good leadership looked like.

Quite a lot of people said Nelson Mandela. Several participants who suggested their mum or their grandad. The reasons people gave for the leaders they put forward were that they were inspired by them or they trusted them or they wanted to be like them.

The group explored how either unattainable or very personal these examples are, with no middle ground. We noticed that no one had suggested their boss, even though you might think that just the mere fact of occupying the title boss means leadership. This dissonance took us to a conversation about leadership being about something different, that it isn't about titles, and is about trust and inspiration, which means it exists anywhere. This lesson has always stayed with me.

This memory popped back into my mind the other day as I was yet again observing an example of poor leadership somewhere or other. Or leadershit. (I wasn't the first to come up with that. Of course, someone beat me to it like all of my best puns).

In today's complexities, I think people in leadership positions are less able to hide their poor leadership. It's even more important to build trust and inspire. In a working world where staff are encouraged to be themselves, it really is vital that leaders are able to find ways to support all of their people, to navigate issues that may seem in conflict, yet are real and true and personal, and to be guided by a common humanity which should never be in doubt.

As Sarah Ferreira so rightly said in Fundraising Everywhere's Supporter Experience seminar I was taking part in yesterday:

Trust is earned, not given.

Please, please, please may we finally see an end to Israel's assault on Gaza, the unimpeded entry of food and medical aid to the people there, the release of any remaining hostages (or their bodies), and the beginnings of lasting peace in the region.

Day of the Week 📆

I wasn't at Chelsea flower show this week but I admired it from afar.

Loved Drag Queen Gardener's outfit!

Useful links 🔗

The first in a series of events exploring anti-racist leadership with Martha Awojobi (CEO and Founder of JMB and Uncharitable) and Seyi Akiwowo (Global Tech Advisor and Founder of Glitch), produced by Cam St-Omer Donaldson (Consultant and Head of Membership at Fundraising Everywhere). Link to register here.

What am I reading? 📚

This is an interesting report from King's Business School about return to work mandates which are showing growing resistance from employees with women and parents less likely to comply. 10% of employees would resign immediately if forced to return to office work 5 days a week.

But people of colour are more likely to comply.

Working from home isn't going away but offering the opportunities to do it must be equitable.

What am I listening to?👂

I've been listening to the beautiful sounds that Jacob Alon makes.

Joy-giving things 😍

If you saw my little clip about taking my sunflower for a walk then this is why. My neighbour puts out trays of seedlings and plants on his front wall and has an honesty box. All proceeds to charity.

Usually I don't have any cash on me but this time I did!

Happy weekend everyone

Lucy

I write this newsletter because I believe in sharing progressive ideas that help us work towards a truly equal world.

Share it with your friends so they can read it too 📣

Thank you!

ChangeOut is created by Lucy Caldicott. You can find more about my work at ChangeOut.org. If you’re looking to have a chat about culture, leadership, purpose, equity, or a facilitated team discussion about any of those things, get in touch. You can also find me on Bluesky, Instagram, and, LinkedIn.

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