JANUARY 2018

Top ten tips
So, what are the ‘Top Ten Tips’ from my book for
social sector leaders seeking a bigger impact?
1. Lead from behind.
The most successful social sector leaders lead
from behind as much as from the front. They lead
organisations that people join by choice as much as
financial necessity, be they staff or volunteers. So,
outside of turnaround situations, leadership is more
about engagement – convenor of the organisation
rather than its commander.
Key behaviours: Talk to more people, in more
depth. Listen more than you talk.
authentic, stand for particular values and that you
uphold them, come what may.
Key behaviours: Make clear what you believe.
Prove this through your behaviour.
4. Be ambitious.
Leaders who are really changing the world are
those with a vast ambition around the mission
and how it can be grown. They create a sense
of possibility beyond what is currently being
achieved. Their skill is doing this without
demeaning past achievement. And framing the
future in a way that pays back to staff, volunteers
and others, the organisation’s sense of its true
purpose.
Key behaviours: Think big, encourage others
to do the same. Frame ambition squarely in the
language of mission.
5. Think impact.
First-order social sector leaders are making their
organisations think hard about how to capture
and communicate the difference they make (or
not!). For many organisations - habituated to
reporting activity not results - this is difficult.
But, if the world is to be changed, those leading
it have to be clear on progress. The first step
is tactfully making the challenge about the
difference the organisation is making, in a way
that people can cope with.
Key behaviours: Cold honesty, openness,
comfort with laying down a challenge.
2. Build coalitions.
If they want to make things happen, leaders in
the social sector have to build coalitions both
inside and beyond the organisation. The authority
invested in leadership in this sector is probably less
than in the private sector, where the CEO is given
more latitude. To get people on board, CEOs leading
big transformation need to develop strong political
skills.
Key behaviours: Plan who you need to deliver
change. Think about what aspects will get each
group on board.
3. Be authentic.
The most successful leaders are genuine people
who stay human. It sounds simple, but we all know
that the pressures in organisations often mean that
leaders sometimes fail in this regard. Authenticity
in social sector leadership isn’t the same thing as
being liked. It’s about people knowing that you are
6. Create your culture.
Top social sector leaders understand that, for an
organisation to make an impact, it has to have
the right culture. When coming in new, social
leaders often find a culture that’s getting in the
way of progress. ‘Show me the Leader, Show me
the Culture’ is a cliché, but one with some truth.
While aspects of culture can remain immune to a
leader’s influence, the best leaders waste no time
setting out the attitudes and behaviour that they
most value.
Key behaviours: Make people aware of your
values and expectations of everyone. Repeat it
often and model it yourself.
7. Get your team right.
Successful social sector leaders put great store
by a top team which is capable, even when this
means tough choices. They understand that this
unit is the key to success or failure, the A Team.
And that a B Team won’t change the world.
Therefore, finding a top team where people trust
34 | JANUARY 2018