Ambitions 2026 & what social sector leaders really need: space, peers and permission to lead differently
11 Nov 2026
- Edinburgh and Lothians
- Support
- Programme
Leadership in the social sector has never been easy. Today's leaders are navigating financial uncertainty, growing demand and increasing expectations from funders, boards and stakeholders. Through years of designing cohort-based leadership programmes, we have seen the same things emerge time and time again: leaders thrive when they have space to step back, trusted peers to learn from, and the confidence to lead in ways that reflect who they really are.
Our latest Ambitions programme, delivered in partnership with the Postcode Innovation Trust, placed a stronger focus on leader wellbeing. Alongside practical sessions on strategy, board effectiveness and growth, discussions repeatedly returned to wellbeing and the importance of creating environments where leaders can bring their whole selves to their roles. Here are three lessons that have relevance far beyond the programme itself.
Leaders need space to think
Many leaders spend their days responding to immediate pressures. Across multiple Ambitions cohorts, leaders tell us how valuable the protected time away from day-to-day pressures the programme offers is. Space to reflect, learn and challenge engrained practices can unlock new ideas and build confidence. One participant highlighted how protected space and thoughtful challenges from trusted peers helped strengthen their leadership confidence and personal resilience.
“I’ve had a lot of imposter syndrome and confidence issues recently, but through the Ambitions programme I have been able to take a step back, reflect and take time to really think about where I am and where I want to be in my role as CE and Founder, but also personally. From Week 1, I felt comfortable with the amazing cohort of inspirational colleagues, along with other fabulous leaders and facilitators throughout the course.”
Allison Barr
CEO of Team Jak Foundation
Strong leadership is rooted in community
One of the strongest themes we hear is the value of peer support. Ambitions brings founders, CEOs and senior leaders together to exchange perspectives on the realities of running an impact-led organisation. Social sector leaders often carry significant responsibility while having limited opportunities to discuss challenges openly with people who understand the realities of the role. Trusted peer networks provide perspective, challenge assumptions and remind leaders they do not have to solve every problem alone. The combination of expert sessions and leadership insights emerging through honest conversations between people facing similar challenges, allow participants built meaningful relationships with peers and ecosystem partners who can continue to offer perspective and support long after the programme ends.
Alastair Davis, CEO of Social Investment Scotland, reflected on the importance of creating genuinely safe environments in which leaders can discuss challenges with trusted peers. He said:
“Recognising that individual wellbeing is not an optional extra, it is part of providing effective support and is important for the long-term health of the sector. As an LGBT+ leader, I know I do my best work when I can be fully myself. A strong cohort builds the trust that allows leaders to be authentic, acknowledge uncertainty and share difficult challenges without judgement.”
Alastair Davis
CEO of Social Investment Scotland
Leadership doesn’t look the same for everyone
Increasingly, leaders are challenging assumptions about how people should think, communicate and work. The discussions in this programme highlighted the importance of creating environments where people feel able to be themselves, enabling organisations to benefit from a wider range of perspectives, experiences and approaches to problem-solving. When leaders feel supported to lead in ways that work for them, organisations are often stronger for it.
Kieran Daly, Head of Market Building, highlighted the importance of designing organisational cultures that are accessible to everyone:
“It’s no secret that the social enterprise sector attracts people who have felt marginalised by mainstream systems, motivating them to alleviate these effects for others through their work. For example, neurodivergent people may not always feel comfortable sharing what they need at work. We need to make those conversations easier, listen without judgement and be flexible about how we work and communicate, so everyone can feel safe, valued and supported to lead at their best.
Too often, different approaches to learning and leadership have been mistaken for a lack of ability and simply seen as a challenge to accommodate. We need to move beyond that and recognise that many neurodivergent leaders bring unique insight, creativity and ways of solving problems which can make a real difference to other people’s lives.”
What we can take forward
The lessons emerging from Ambitions are not new, but they are becoming increasingly important as pressures on the social sector grow. These insights will shape how SIS designs its business support programmes and contributes to leadership development across the sector. Ambitions will return next year, but the conversation about leadership wellbeing and inclusive organisations must continue now. The stronger the support systems for our leaders are, the better their organisations are at driving positive change in communities across Scotland.
If you are interested in hearing more information about the Ambitions programme in advance of the 2027 chapter, please email julie@socialinvestmentscotland.com