Where’s the Leadership Line in the Budget?
I was reviewing a project budget recently and noticed -again -no line for leadership development. Not even a vague nod to it. This is something I’ve seen time and time again, even in projects that are supposedly values-led, future-focused or built around inclusion. We talk a big game about leadership. But we rarely fund it.
We say we want brave, empathetic, resilient people to lead through uncertainty, complexity and change. But then we give them a login for a free online course and call it capacity-building.
So here’s the provocation: if leadership really matters to your organisation, show me the budget line.
The Invisible Line Item
Leadership development rarely shows up on a spreadsheet. If it’s there at all, it’s disguised — hidden in “contingency” or bundled into “CPD.” And let’s be honest, what counts as CPD in this sector is sometimes laughable.
“We pay for your DBS.”
“You get a free safeguarding course.”
“You’ll need a first aid certificate but we won’t cover it — you’re a freelancer.”
“Here’s a link to a free online module, you’re welcome.”
That’s not leadership development. That’s compliance.
If we want values-led leadership to thrive, we’ve got to stop equating development with box-ticking. Coaching, strategic thinking time, mentoring, facilitated spaces to think differently -these are the things that grow people. Not another webinar squeezed in between deadlines.
Good Practice Exists -But It’s Rarely Resourced
Leadership development is still framed as a special treat for the few. A prize for those already inside the system. Not a standard practice for the whole ecosystem.
We’ve normalised underinvestment in arts and culture. And then we wonder why people burn out, stall, or step away.
Trustees Are Leaders Too
Boards get left out of this conversation constantly. But trustees, especially chairs and vice chairs, are in leadership roles too. They’re steering strategic direction, holding values, signing off major decisions -and often doing it on limited knowledge, confidence or support.
A slide deck once a year on charity finance does not equal board development.
Boards need facilitated strategy sessions. Sector insight. Brave space to explore challenge and change. If we want inclusive, imaginative governance, we’ve got to stop offering the bare minimum and hoping for the best.
Strong boards don’t just support leadership. They are part of it.
What Message Are We Sending to Emerging Leaders?
Let’s be blunt. The message we send too often is: you’ll need to hustle for growth, self-fund your development, and maybe -maybe -we’ll invest in you when you’re already half-dead from overwork.
That’s not a leadership pipeline. That’s a trap.
We want empathetic, community-rooted, values-driven leaders? Great. Then we need to create conditions where those people can grow and stay.
That means investing early. Offering support that isn’t reliant on privilege or networks. Making leadership development a shared, visible, funded part of the work -not an add-on for the lucky few.
So... Where’s the Budget Line?
We’ve normalised having lines for safeguarding, marketing, access and evaluation. So why is leadership still invisible?
Every organisation should be able to answer:
Who are we supporting to lead here?
Where is that support built into our budgets and plans?
Are we investing in Trustees too?
Are we walking our talk, or just copying and pasting values into funding applications?
This isn’t about fluff. It’s about building the capacity to hold complexity, care, contradiction and change -the reality of leadership today.
If we want a different kind of leader, we need a different kind of investment.
