Dan Francis reflects on his first months leading Cranfield Trust and shares advice for charity leaders navigating their own transitions.
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I’ve worked in the charity sector my whole career. In my last role at NCVO, I led their training and consultancy work, so I was used to going into organisations, building a picture quickly and forming recommendations. When I became chief executive of Cranfield Trust in September 2025, I felt confident in my ability to help organisations enact change. I have since learned that stepping into a chief executive role not only brings different responsibilities but also requires a different mindset and approach.

I’m very conscious that three months is early days! Still, I wanted to share some thoughts on the journey so far, what makes Cranfield Trust distinctive, and a few lessons that may be useful to others making the transition into a chief executive role.

Taking on any new job is daunting. Coming in as chief executive for me was doubly so. Even in small organisations like ours, you get a real 360-degree view. Even though you’re not involved in every decision, you have that all-around awareness, and people are looking to you for leadership. You’ve got to be aware of the signals you give off in everything you say.

I’d describe myself as having a “bias to action,” so the temptation to dive straight into problem-solving has been strong. Instead, I made a deliberate choice to try to resist it.

Slowing things down

Particularly for leaders who are naturally driven to create change, the role makes you feel as if you need to move quickly and decisively. So, my advice for new CEOs might sound counterintuitive: slow down to go fast.

Provided your organisation isn’t in some kind of crisis, taking time to really understand the organisation is absolutely the right thing to do. Give yourself that license. If you rush to make choices and decisions too early and think “I can fix that thing over there,” you fail to see the full picture, and you also end up focusing on deficits.

When I started, the board had set me a specific objective: meet with everyone across the organisation, staff, volunteers, and clients, and report back with a diagnostic of where Cranfield Trust stands. This listening phase became the foundation for my first 100 days. Had I written this a week after I’d started, I’d probably be talking about different things as the priority. Really spending time listening, observing and diagnosing has, I hope, allowed me to take a more strategic and asset-based view of the organisation.

What emerged from those conversations wasn’t a sense that things needed fixing, but rather a clearer view of the organisation’s considerable strengths. There is so much about Cranfield Trust that works really, really well. Starting from that position has helped me distinguish between what genuinely needs attention and what should be protected, amplified or built upon.

Taking the time to understand those things before I made any movements to try and change them has proven hugely beneficial.

I have found that taking an asset-based approach to my 100-day review, starting with what already works, what is valued, and what provides the strongest foundation for future change, particularly in a sector operating under sustained pressure.

The most powerful questions I have asked are deliberately asset-based:
· What genuinely works well here, and why?
· What is truly distinctive about this organisation?
· When are we at our best, and what conditions make that possible? What gets in the way?

Understanding the sector

Three months in, I am acutely aware of the pressures facing the charity sector, but I have also become increasingly conscious of the importance of the role Cranfield Trust plays within it. Understanding our place in the wider ecosystem, and how we collaborate effectively with others, is something I now spend a great deal of time thinking about.

Funding pressures are acute, local authorities are merging, budgets are under strain, and frontline organisations are being asked to do more with less.

It’s definitely tough, and it’s particularly so for frontline organisations and smaller charities. So many leaders of smaller organisations find themselves as the accidental CEO: they were a programme manager, and then suddenly the chief exec leaves, and unexpectedly they’re in charge.

This reality shapes how I see Cranfield Trust’s role. Those people deserve to have the kind of development that people in the private sector and those in larger charities receive- understanding the fundamentals of management and running an organisation. I’m really excited that we are in a position to provide that support.

Cranfield Trust’s unique model, deploying over 1,400 skilled volunteers to deliver free management consultancy, feels more relevant than ever. That doesn’t really exist at this scale anywhere else in the sector, at this level of depth and curated support. I’m biased, I know, but I think it's really special!

I am learning that taking time to understand where your organisation creates distinctive value is not a luxury if you are to protect, strengthen and intentionally build on what matters most.

Setting the direction

From my listening exercise, I’ve begun to identify several priorities that will shape Cranfield Trust’s next chapter. As we develop the next strategy, we will continue to engage closely with staff, volunteers and partners to test our thinking and translate direction into firm, deliverable

plans. While the formal strategy won’t be finalised until summer 2026, I’m clearer now about the direction of travel.

First is strengthening and building on the volunteer community itself. I see a huge opportunity to build our learning community and bring people together around key topics of interest to them and the charities we work with. If we’ve got a bunch of people who do business planning, let’s make sure we’re really sharing the forefront of best practice amongst that group.

By using our data and frontline insight to spot patterns across the sector, we can equip volunteers to combine their technical expertise with the tools, methodologies and deep, practical understanding of how charities actually operate. Our volunteers are our greatest asset and our USP, and the more we invest in them and equip them, the quicker they hit the ground running.

Second is developing charity leaders themselves, more systematically. Given Cranfield Trust’s access to a network of experienced professionals, I see significant potential in offering more structured development for the “accidental” CEOs or leaders navigating roles they never expected to hold. This is about building connections and equipping them with the fundamentals of good management and leadership.

Third is making better use of the organisation’s data and insights. Through our Journey to Excellence diagnostic, we’ve built a really rich picture of the charity sector over the past five years, and we need to make more of it. What do we do with all that insight? Are we developing tools, resources, and guidance as a result of it? Are we using this rich insight to help inform decision-makers? We’ve got a huge opportunity there.

Our greatest asset

I knew the Trust had skilled volunteers, but was struck by just how exceptional Cranfield Trust’s volunteer network proved to be, not just in terms of expertise but also in attitude.

I saw this firsthand when one of our volunteers, a people and culture expert, facilitated our first senior management team awayday, helping us focus on how to work together as a leadership team.

We really do benefit from a diverse pool of volunteers. We have people who have been really senior in the commercial world, the public sector, and government, armed forces, people who’ve started their own businesses, scaled and sold them, and those with deep experience in the charity sector. It is so varied. I knew they were skilled, but I perhaps didn’t fully appreciate just how powerful that network is.

But it’s not only their credentials that impressed me. There’s also a thirst for learning in that group. These are not just private sector folk coming to tell the charity sector how to develop. They’re humble, and they recognise they need to adjust and develop. They want to work alongside organisations. That is the magic, really.

I was equally struck by the culture within the staff team and board. I feel like everybody is rooting for my success and our success. That’s an incredible place to be.

Advice for new CEOs

For charity leaders navigating their own transitions, I’d offer several practical reflections.

Slow down to go fast. Resist the pressure to act immediately. Take time to listen, observe and diagnose first, so early decisions are grounded, strategic and sustainable rather than reactive.

Start with assets, not deficits. Begin by understanding what already works and what is distinctive, then decide what genuinely needs attention and what should be built upon.

Build relationships with your board early. I’m grateful to Cranfield Trust’s chair for suggesting that we meet regularly throughout the recruitment process and before I started. There is something about knowing that the board’s there offering that support, which is really key. And they genuinely want to hear from me as their new CEO.

Protect your wellbeing. It can be quite full-on. You’re trying to navigate newness, build relationships internally and externally- that can be tiring. I’d emphasise protecting weekends and evenings. If you’re going to make the most of processing all those conversations, you need to keep your life in balance.

Seek external perspectives. I’ve got a great coach, who has helped me take a step back. This third perspective, be it a coach or mentor, someone who understands but is not in your world, is so helpful. If we just spoke to people inside our own organisations, it would become an echo chamber.

Finally, remember to enjoy it. It can be easy to forget to enjoy it and see it for what it is: a really amazing opportunity. Keeping in mind why you made the move is really important.

Looking ahead

As I approach the formal end of my 100-day period, I’m energised by the possibilities ahead. There are so many ideas coming from all over the place. Everybody is passionate about our organisation. Everybody sees the need and purpose of what we do.

The strategy process that unfolds over the coming months will be collaborative, involving clients, volunteers, staff and the board. I don’t have all the answers, and I really think it’s going to be quite a collaborative exercise amongst a group of people who really care.

For me, the next phase is about building on Cranfield Trust’s considerable strengths rather than tearing anything up. What are we going to do to continue offering support? How are we going to meet this moment? It’s by saying: we have all these assets, and this is how we’re going to use them.

Cranfield Trust provides free management consultancy, mentoring and resources to charities across the UK. If your organisation could benefit from expert support, explore what’s available and see how our volunteers can help you strengthen your impact.

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