NCVO’s Leading on Purpose programme is designed to help aspiring and existing charity leaders succeed. It focuses on the mindset, knowledge and connections they’ll need to guide the sector into the 2030s.
The learning outcomes of this programme, as well as our one and two-day courses, are informed by our vision for charity leaders.
Effective charity leaders must develop the knowledge that enables them to:
Lead authentically
Meaning leaders will…
- have clarity of their personal values and mission
- understand their own leadership preferences and what these mean for how they lead and collaborate
- appreciate their own vulnerabilities as a leader
- cultivate high emotional intelligence to understand and support themselves and others
- have techniques to drive and sustain their personal resilience
- approach their role with adaptability and a commitment to learning.
Lead externally
Meaning leaders will…
- think in terms of a whole system approach which makes sense of a radically interconnected world
- instinctively collaborate, building deep and effective partnerships
- appreciate their role, their organisations position and influence in a system
- communicate confidently with different audiences and ground communication in their values, never avoiding challenging and controversial topics
- be aware of their personal and organisation’s power and the impact these have on the world.
Lead strategically
Meaning leaders will…
- see the bigger picture of what needs to be done to create impact, cutting through the day-to-day noise
- develop and communicate a clear vision for what they want to achieve
- motivate, energise and sustain a team to get behind this vision
- confidently embrace uncertainty and make difficult decisions with often imperfect information
- see opportunities, innovate and be adaptable to change
- ensure the voices of those they serve are represented in strategic decisions
- focus on long-term sustainability, ensuring achievement not only of short-term impact but the ongoing health of the charity and the communities it serves.
Lead people
Meaning leaders will…
- empower their teams by delegating responsibility, fostering a culture of ownership, and encouraging leadership at all levels
- on an ongoing basis strategically assess the strengths, weaknesses and needs of a team
- understand the combined importance culture and talent and plan for this in creating a high performing workplace
- champion inclusion and diversity
- foster a great culture and nurture a team to achieve great results
- identify and manage conflicts within their team in a constructive and positive manner
- address team underperformance an issue of cultural misalignment with confidence.
Lead internally
Meaning leaders will…
- prioritise how a charity achieves its objectives as much as the impact it seeks to create
- know what makes a charity effective, well run and governed
- navigate tensions and processes in how charities are run effectively to drive results
- plan for operational effectiveness, threading together objectives to ensure greater impact
- demonstrate strong financial acumen, ensuring the responsible use of resources while striving for maximum impact
- remain open to challenge, be accountable for their actions and welcome scrutiny
- have a personal commitment to organisational development and improvement, and the ability to effectively lead change.
Effective charity leaders must be focused on the future, and the impact of their organisations.
Accountability, adaptability and authenticity are key qualities that will enable them to lead with diplomacy and transparency.
We help leaders to develop these attributes and a mindset that is:
- collaborative
- compassionate
- confident
- creative
- curious
- empowering
- inclusive
- innovative
- proactive
- open-minded
- resilient
- self-aware
- strategic
- supportive
- values-based.