Ahead of our Women in Leadership: Championing the Next Generation of Leaders event this September, we’re excited to sit down with our panel to dig deeper into their leadership journeys, perspectives and advice for the next generation of female leaders across the charity and not-for-profit sectors.
First up is Natasha Dickinson, Global Engagement Director at Save the Children International, whose career in brand, marketing and communications has spanned some of the sector’s most iconic organisations, including the British Red Cross, RNIB and Cancer Research UK. Known for shaping voices that make change happen, Natasha reflects on purpose-driven leadership, the power of storytelling and why championing future talent starts with creating space for others.
For me, brand is more than a logo, an emblem or a campaign. It’s the clarity of what you stand for, the impact you have and the way in which you show up across everything that you do. Your communications are how you take that clarity into the world and invite others in to feel part of your mission. This is the most effective way to create stand out for any brand, not just those in the charity sector, but for commercial charities too. In my experience, having held roles across all levels as my career has progressed, I’ve found that I have been heard more and included more when I have genuinely believed in the value and the impact of that brand I represent and crucially, where my and that organisation's values have been strongly aligned. If that alignment exists, I believe you are much more equipped to influence more effectively across all stakeholder groups and be seen as a leader and it’s important to remember that leadership comes in many shapes and sizes, not just in the title. Now that I’m more senior in my role I really am conscious of ensuring that a core part of my role is enabling the voices of others to be heard and when done well, brand and comms can rebalance the conversation so that it reflects the full breadth of experience and representation, not just the loudest voices.
I was drawn to the sector because I wanted my work to matter beyond the bottom line. At Cancer Research UK, I saw the power of collective purpose at scale through the thousands of people united by a cause that touches almost every family. Back then, I thought leadership meant having the answers and inspiring people with them. Now, after leading through restructures at Fight for Sight and RNIB, steering brand transformations at the British Red Cross, and navigating complex stakeholder landscapes at Save the Children, I’ve learned that leadership is much more about creating the conditions for others to thrive. Listening, adapting, and giving people the confidence to bring their best ideas forward is far more powerful than being the loudest voice in the room.
Leading with purpose is about being crystal clear on the ‘why’ and making sure that ‘why’ is felt as much as it is understood. At the British Red Cross, leading with purpose for me meant ensuring our humanitarian principles weren’t just words on paper but were reflected in every campaign, every appeal, every image we chose. Our creative and engagement strategies need to bring to life and tell the story of how ‘The power of kindness ‘(our brand platform) was also not just words on a page but we behaved in every aspect of our work with particular emphasis on those moments of emergency and or crisis. My approach to achieving this is to bring people with me by connecting their personal motivations to the mission, showing them that their work has a direct line to impact, and involving them in shaping how we get there.
Make introductions and recommendations. It sounds simple but connecting emerging leaders with people in your network and advocating for them in rooms they’re not yet in can change the trajectory of a career. I’ve worked with so many talented colleagues and have always strived to proactively support those I can through my network as much as I can, both within the organisations I work in but also within the sector. In all my senior roles, I have made a point of bringing early-career colleagues who have lead on projects or pieces of work into meetings with senior leaders and colleagues, ensuring they have a platform to talk about the work they have been delivering, rather than speaking for them as the leader of that function. They not only gained confidence but also began building their own networks. In high-pressure environments, that’s a tangible, quick way to invest in people without adding to their workload or yours in unmanageable
ways.
Absolutely. The stories we tell about leadership shape who sees themselves in those roles. If we only tell the “hero leader” story, the lone visionary who makes all the decisions, we exclude the collaborative, empathetic, kind and adaptable leaders who are just as, if not more, effective. At RNIB, some of the most impactful leadership came from colleagues with lived experience of sight loss, working in partnership with technical experts to help shape our services. That’s leadership too and it needs to be celebrated. I want future leaders to hear that it’s okay not to have all the answers, that asking questions is a strength, and that making space for different perspectives makes your leadership stronger.
For me, it’s psychological safety, the sense that you can speak up, disagree, or admit you don’t know something without fear of judgment or career damage. At Save the Children International, working across cultures and time zones, this meant actively inviting views from colleagues in country offices before finalising strategies, rather than assuming London held all the insight. At the British Red Cross, it meant creating safe spaces for staff to process the emotional toll of crisis work so they could contribute fully. You can have all the demographic diversity in the world, but if only a few voices are truly listened to, it’s not inclusion.
That they are unapologetic about wanting change, not just in the causes they work for, but in how work itself is structured. I see it in young colleagues who challenge outdated norms around flexibility, equity, and accountability, and who expect those conversations to be part of the culture from day one and are very good at setting out boundaries around work/life balance. That boldness, that impatience for progress, is exactly what the sector needs.
We can’t wait to hear more from Natasha and our full panel during the live session on 17th September. Keep an eye on our blog over the coming weeks, where we’ll be sharing more Q&As with our speakers, including Lourie Boult (former Executive Director of Fundraising & Engagement at Age UK) and Esther Kwaku (Founder & CEO of The Nerve Network).
Do you want to join the conversation? Registration for the event is free, but places are limited. If you’d like to be added to our waitlist, please send an email to: jael@thetalentset.co.uk.
