In this episode of the Charity Changemakers Podcast, Adam is joined by Kathryn Ward, a people leader, consultant, interim, fractional and coach who spent six years as Chief People Officer at Guide Dogs before founding her own consultancy, Zephyr People. Kathryn shares the moment a headhunter first called about the Guide Dogs role in January 2019 - and why she turned it down, convinced she didn't have the right background. By the time they called back in April, a shift from a fixed to a growth mindset had changed her answer, and it shaped how she's approached every big career decision since. Together, Adam and Kathryn unpack:

• Why she nearly said no to the job that defined her charity career
• The gendered confidence gap behind that hesitation, and how she moved past it
• Why "you have to like people to be good at HR" is a myth
• Trusteeship as the smartest, lowest-risk way to test a move into the sector
• The breadth and loneliness of sitting on a charity exec team
• Why charity leaders need more peer-to-peer networks, not fewer
• Leaving Guide Dogs to build Zephyr People - a portfolio life of consultancy, interim work and coaching
• Burnout, trauma-informed coaching, and why change is so hard for people who've self-actualised through their cause

Kathryn also reflects candidly on loneliness in leadership, the staff reps she still stays in touch with more than former senior colleagues, and why making space for quieter voices has become central to how she leads. This is a warm, practical conversation for anyone weighing a move into the charity sector, sitting on the fence about a trustee role, or wondering whether "good enough" really is good enough to take the next step. Takeaways

• Career journey from commercial HR into the charity sector
• Imposter syndrome and the shift to a growth mindset
• The realities - and the myths - of a career in HR and people leadership
• Trusteeship as a deliberate route into charity leadership
• The breadth and complexity of sitting on a charity exec team
• Portfolio careers - consultancy, interim work, fractional roles and coaching
• Peer-to-peer networks and why the charity sector needs more of them
• Burnout, trauma-informed coaching and leading through change
• Inclusive leadership and making space for every voice

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and quickfire questions
• 07:11 The phone call that changed everything - falling into charity leadership
• 10:46 Overcoming imposter syndrome to become a Chief People Officer
• 18:40 Why trusteeship is the smartest way in from commercial
• 22:17 The hardest part of stepping up - holding the breadth of an exec role
• 26:58 The power - and the gap - in charity peer-to-peer networks
• 32:06 Leaving Guide Dogs and launching Zephyr People
• 35:53 Coaching, burnout and why change feels so hard in charity culture
• 38:40 Leadership lessons learned the hard way

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, share and leave a review. Your support helps more charity leaders and changemakers discover the show.