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To truly embrace innovation in sustainability, we must challenge ourselves to think differently about the role we play as leaders.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) evangelists claim we are in the next Industrial Revolution. But isn’t it our human capacity for empathy and self-awareness that truly drives meaningful change?

After a period of testing and development, Pilotlight Impact Day was born. Rather than focus on open questions of strategy, funding and governance for charities, the time was structured into small teams focusing on precise challenges, carefully prepared in advance, that were critical to the life of the charity.

Pilotlight has the privilege of working with a diverse and inspiring community of female leaders. To celebrate International Women’s Day we asked Stacey Carr, a Pilotlighter via our Ignite Initiative, to share her leadership journey with us and why she believes investing in your leadership development is so important for women.

Little did I know that a seemingly simple email was about to change my perspective in a big way. It was from Pilotlight. Thanking their ‘Pilotlighters’, both past and present, for their contribution to the skills-based volunteering programmes they run in partnership with Barclays. And whilst reading it, the thought struck me that I actually had a lot to thank Pilotlight for.

Something I hear frequently from charity leaders, especially founders, is ‘We can’t say no to someone who needs help!

'It's lonely at the top' is a phrase we often hear.

Pilotlight’s PMs are skilled facilitators, cultural translators and experts in charity governance and strategic planning. They create the space in which trust relationships can grow and set the tone for open, honest and respectful communication.

In my current role at Pilotlight, I have the pleasure to work with impact-driven leaders every day, tirelessly doing their bit to tackle society’s biggest challenges. I am proud that 75% of my project portfolio is organisations led by women.

When I think of women in leadership roles, I tend to think of Jacina Ardern (Prime Minister of New Zealand) or Michelle Obama (Former First Lady) and the lessons they’ve modelled to the world; kindness, tenacity, assertiveness.

I joined Comic Relief almost two years ago now, at a moment of great change, joining during the pandemic. It was a great personal change. I'd worked at this other agency for a long time, was quite comfortable and then decided to jump in and work on this side of the fence.

My first leadership experience was when I was quite young. Soon after leaving university, I found myself leading a small grassroots project in South Africa providing training to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS. I knew very little about running a project, and equally little about leadership. I had the job title of a leader and people to be led but really, I didn’t know what to do.