The Evolving Boardroom: Reflections on 20 years in Governance and ‘The Chair’

Redefining the role of the Chair

People often ask me what it means to be a Chair of trustees. For me, it is fundamentally about setting a direction, and helping an organisation increase its impact on the communities it serves. It is not about holding a title. It is about collaborating with the experts who deliver the organisation’s work and bringing an outside perspective to constructively challenge, provide insights from elsewhere and be a steward for the future sustainability of the organisation.

I have been wrongly identified as someone who must have had a privileged upbringing and all the right connections to get on to boards at an earlier age. The free school meals and educational maintenance allowance supporting a single-parent family demonstrate the opposite. But these assumptions are damaging to our ability to recruit diverse boards and bring younger people, especially into such vital leadership roles.

There’s a challenge when people don’t see a role as being ‘for them’. And it’s both an honour and a hard-fought achievement often associated with gaining ‘a seat at the table’. I’ve also struggled over the years to reconcile the fact I am one of so few people in a room, and that I can’t possibly be the representative voice of others. But a late friend of mine made a great point to me: “You’ve made it into the room, and you can affect change from the inside and represent our voices because you know and listen to us.”

So, as a trustee, and certainly as a chair, I take on this mantle. Legally, I have to ensure everything we do is in the best interests of the charity, and this is completely right; however, this does not mean we can forget about what would be best for our beneficiaries and communities. After all, a charity only exists if it is delivering meaningful impact.

Being a trustee means ensuring that organisations remain true to their social purpose while successfully navigating modern complexities. And being a Chair? That is the art of curating an environment where brilliant, diverse minds can come together, feel valued, and collaboratively solve difficult problems.

Often, it means stepping back so that others can step forward. That can be especially hard if you don’t personally agree with particular viewpoints or approaches, but you can carefully bring your views when you’ve gathered others’. And a good trustee will always implement the well-informed and considered majority view that has been agreed by a board. Just because you’re a chair doesn’t mean you’re always right.

The role of a board has transformed dramatically over the last two decades. We are no longer simply a group of overseers ticking compliance boxes; we are strategic engines responsible for driving cultural renewal and genuine social impact. A modern board must be dynamic, inclusive, and equipped for the realities of today and tomorrow, not the world as it was when the organisation's constitution was first written.

The bigger picture

When I became an IoL Fellow, I committed to undertaking all the MyLeadership+ modules and these really supported my broader thinking. They also encouraged me to go further and take on an Executive MBA.

They gave me the context and strategic frameworks - particularly around director perspectives - that encouraged me to pursue new governance roles. They taught me how to look at business and culture within larger, more complex environments, blending academic theory with practical application.

This macro view is essential when you are responsible for serving 50,000+ members of a community, as we are at The Institute of Leadership, or when you are navigating the needs of thousands of residents in social housing, as we do at Tuntum.

As I’ve previously written for the Association of Chairs, organisations that cling to the outdated belief that decades of experience automatically equate to the value of a voice risk missing out on vital innovation. We must create space for fresh perspectives and encourage thinking beyond established norms if our organisations are not simply to survive but truly thrive.

5 steps towards a more inclusive boardroom

Recognising the need for diverse strategic thinking is only the first step. As a Chair, the real work lies in ensuring that the boardroom is an environment where every director can meaningfully contribute. I frequently run training for clients and have developed guides now used by boards across the country. These give me the chance to reflect on how to be effective across many environments. And I want to share with you here 5 tips to get you started with cultivating an inclusive boardroom – and enable people to look at your board and say, “I would love to become a member of that”.

1. Design for psychological safety

Every meeting should have a clearly defined purpose and structure established in advance. I advocate for agendas that assign named individuals to specific points, complete with realistic timings.

This isn't merely an administrative exercise; it provides psychological safety. It allows people to plan their contributions, understand expectations, and eliminates the anxiety of unstructured, drifting debates that often sideline quieter voices. The art, however, is in being able to adapt when critical discussion ensues.

2. Rethink formats and true accessibility

Consider what actually works for your board members and your organisation’s goals, rather than defaulting to tradition.

Does a hybrid model serve you best? Should certain strategic away-days be strictly in-person? True accessibility means factoring in travel logistics - like whether it is safe and practical for members to rely on public transport late in the evening or time them to support those with caring responsibilities. It is about removing the invisible barriers that prevent talented people from serving.

3. Demystify board papers

Board packs can be notoriously dense, filled with jargon that acts as a barrier to entry.

Ensure that papers are written in plain English and utilise data visualisations where relevant. Crucially, they must be shared with enough lead time for members to digest the information, ask preliminary questions, and consult with their peers before the meeting begins.

This is especially important for voluntary trustees who need to allocate time in their lives - papers a few days before do not support effective decision-making.

4. Build structured mentorship and follow-up

No one should be left to figure out governance in isolation. Implementing a ‘buddy scheme’ where an experienced board member supports a newer one is invaluable. As Chair, you must ensure that actions are clearly communicated for implementation. Helping trustees understand the "what’s next?" builds their confidence and reinforces proactive governance, ensuring a trustee role means much more than turning up to a quarterly meeting.

5. Champion strategic leadership over operational management

It is incredibly easy for a board to get dragged into the operational weeds, especially when members are passionate about the cause. As Chair, my most crucial leadership task is to keep the board focused on the strategic horizon while understanding the operating environment. We are there to steer, not to row.

Effective board leadership means cultivating a culture of trust where we empower the executive team to implement the day-to-day work and provide insightful (yet not cumbersome) reporting. Our role is to ask the right, often difficult, questions and foster collective responsibility, rather than prescribing the exact operational answers.