India’s social sector is at a turning point. While the passion for change is abundant, the sector faces a significant challenge: the missing layer of strong mid-level management. Although the attention typically falls on either the frontline workers or the visionary founders, the people responsible for translating strategy into execution, ensuring operational efficiency, and driving organisational sustainability are either missing or underdeveloped.
This is not just a staffing issue; it is a management crisis that directly impacts the sector’s ability to scale and sustain impact. Consider a programme coordinator who has spent years immersed in community work, deeply understanding the realities on the ground. They are passionate, dedicated, and capable, but as they ascend into mid-management roles, they hit a wall.
They find themselves expected to manage budgets without financial training, lead teams without mentorship, and drive strategy without a roadmap. Their expertise in implementation does not automatically translate into leadership capabilities, yet structured pathways to acquire these skills are few and far between. Mid-level managers are the engine that keeps social impact organisations running.
They translate strategy into action, manage teams, and ensure resources are used effectively. Yet, 88% of SPOs report that a lack of organisational leadership bandwidth is their biggest roadblock to scaling. Unlike the corporate sector, where career growth is clearly struc.
