Strong and Effective Charity Leaders

Yesterday on day 2 we talked about mission, vision and values. Having strong and effective leadership at both board and executive levels will turn vision into reality, drive the mission forward whilst at all times acting in accordance with a charity’s core values. In addition, a diverse board with a wide range of skills, experience and perspectives bolsters a charity’s resilience and gives it the best chance of fulfilling its purposes into the future.

On day 3 of Trustees’ Week, we are looking at the relationship between strong leadership and a resilient charity. Leadership plays an integral role in how well a charity can weather stormy times but also seize opportunities. The role of the board of trustees is to provide strategic oversight and ensure legal compliance. Trustees are the guardians of our charities, working alongside an executive team and/or a strong CEO or executive director.

But whilst an effective leadership board is central to good governance, this is dependent on a few key factors.

Diversity

Trustees should try to identify the range of skills, knowledge and experience required to effectively govern their charity. An effective board should represent the diversity of the charity’s beneficiaries and their needs. The board should be dynamic, able to engage in debate and consider a range of viewpoints. We recommend a regular rotation of trustees to support this and promote a continuing review of the charity’s needs. Check to see what your governing document says about trustee rotation.

The Charity Commission has guidance on the importance of getting the right people with the right skills on your charity’s board. Anyone can be a trustee, as long as they are passionate about the cause and a have the desire to bring about positive change.

Authority

Effective leadership means recognising that decision-making should be carried out by all trustees. Individual trustees should not make unilateral decisions on behalf of the charity without proper consultation with the board collectively. We would recommend that charity trustees and senior members of staff have clear roles, responsibilities, and open communication among board members and senior staff.

For the sake of good governance, charity trustees need to ensure that a diverse range of opinion is considered when making decision. The Commission’s enquiry into The Kingdom Church GB illustrates how damaging one rogue trustee can be to the whole of the charity and its beneficiaries.

Development

A resilient charity with strong governance will regularly review the performance of its trustees and is able to meet any training and development needs. It’s important to invest in leadership development at both the board and executive levels; ongoing training, mentoring, and succession planning ensure that leadership transitions are smooth and that your charity remains resilient through personnel changes.

Each trustee will have different support and development needs and will want to meet those needs in different ways. Support, development and training can involve:

• Workshops, conferences or training courses
• Training, briefings or update sessions at board meetings or at a trustee away day
• Reviewing and discussing online guidance
• Setting up a system for new trustees to be mentored by existing trustees

Skills audit or appraisals can help trustees identify their support needs so that their passion for the cause is fully utilised.

Most importantly, effective leadership recognises they can only act and govern in the best interests of the charity, for the public benefit. Demonstrated in their investigation into the Actor’s Benevolent Fund, the Charity Commission emphasises the need for trustees to be mindful of this when making decisions, to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Disagreements are a fact of life and in a charity, it can be a healthy indication that decisions are being properly scrutinised and discussed at board level. However, it is vital that such disagreements, debate and feedback are delivered constructively if the charity is to benefit from having a diverse board.

Good governance involves maximising the benefits of having a diverse board, steered by strong, steady and fair leadership.