Season 3 | E1 Ben Drabble on why job sharing might be the smartest charity leadership move

Описание: In this episode of the Charity Changemakers Podcast, Adam is joined by Ben Drabble, Chief Executive of Train, to explore a refreshingly honest charity career journey – from international mission, to fundraising leadership, to local youth work on his doorstep.

Ben shares how he stepped into his first Director role through a pure job share model – one inbox, one calendar, total trust – and why job sharing can be an incredibly effective (and often overlooked) way of opening up senior leadership to people with caring responsibilities.

Together, Adam and Ben unpack:

What a pure job share really looks like at Director level
Why job shares have such a high success rate when done well
The leadership growth that comes from shared responsibility and constant feedback
Moving from a large, international charity to leading a small local organisation
Taking a £20k pay cut to gain lifestyle, alignment, and joy in work
Why mission alone is not enough if you don’t enjoy the day-to-day
The danger of confusing aptitude with true career alignment

Ben also reflects candidly on leadership development, career pivots, learning later in life, and why happiness can’t sit permanently on the far side of your next promotion.

This is a thoughtful, grounded conversation for anyone navigating senior leadership, considering flexible working, or wrestling with what “success” really looks like in a charity career.

Takeaways

Career journey
Job sharing
Networking
Fundraising
Youth work leadership transition
Mission alignment

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and career journey
05:59 Impact of gap year programmes
12:45 Building professional networks
20:09 Practicalities of job sharing
29:19 Transition to Chief Executive role
41:16 Lessons in leadership and mission alignment

#podcast
#charity
#careers
#flexibleworking
#nonprofitleadership