How Trustees Can Lead With Confidence

Charity governance can feel overwhelming. Trustees often juggle strategic decisions, financial oversight, and day-to-day concerns, all while ensuring their organisation stays aligned with its purpose. It’s no wonder governance sometimes feels like a burden. But when you understand the three key pillars of governance – generative, strategic, and stewardship – the role becomes clearer, more purposeful, and far more impactful.

In this blog, I’ll unpack these three pillars and share practical steps for trustees to strengthen their leadership and make governance work for their charity, not against it.

1. Generative Governance – Fostering Big-Picture Thinking

Generative governance focuses on thinking creatively and questioning purpose. It’s about the why behind your charity’s work. In this pillar, trustees move beyond reports and spreadsheets to explore ideas that shape the organisation’s future.

Key questions for generative governance

• Are we still fulfilling the core purpose of our charity?
• What trends, opportunities, or challenges are emerging in our sector?
• Are there new ways we could serve our beneficiaries?

A Practical Step

Introduce regular “big picture” sessions at board meetings. For 20 minutes, encourage open discussion on questions like “What would we do differently if we were starting this charity today?” This inspires creativity and ensures trustees keep one eye on the future.

2. Strategic Governance – Turning Vision into Action

Once the big picture is clear, strategic governance ensures that vision becomes achievable action. This pillar is about setting priorities, allocating resources, and measuring success. Strategic governance aligns every decision with the organisation’s mission.

Key questions for strategic governance

• Do we have a clear, actionable strategy for the next 1–3 years?
• Are our resources – financial, time, and people – aligned with our priorities?
• How will we measure success, and what does “impact” look like for us?

A Practical Step

Conduct an annual strategy review. Start with your mission and values, identify what’s working and what’s not, and ensure every action supports your long-term goals. Regular reviews stop strategic plans from gathering dust and ensure they remain relevant.

3. Stewardship Governance – Protecting Resources and Accountability

Stewardship governance is about responsibility and accountability. Trustees act as stewards, safeguarding the charity’s finances, reputation, and long-term sustainability. This pillar includes monitoring risks, ensuring compliance, and upholding high standards of transparency.

Key questions for stewardship governance

• Are we confident our charity is financially stable and well-managed?
• Do we have clear policies for risk management and compliance?
• Are we communicating our impact effectively to stakeholders?

A Practical Step

Create a simple dashboard for trustees to review at each meeting. Include key financial metrics, risk updates, and progress on goals. A clear, visual snapshot allows trustees to monitor stewardship without drowning in detail.

Bringing It All Together: Building Confidence in Governance

The three pillars of governance aren’t separate silos. They work together. Generative governance asks “what’s possible?” Strategic governance says “how do we get there?” and stewardship ensures “we do it responsibly.” When trustees embrace this balance, they can lead with clarity and confidence.

Overcoming Common Governance Challenges

If your board feels stuck, here’s what might be happening:

1. Focus on detail without direction – If meetings only focus on reports and compliance, trustees miss the bigger picture.
2. Unclear roles – Governance can blur into operational tasks, especially in small charities.
3. Lack of diversity – Without varied perspectives, boards can fall into “groupthink.”

Solution

Create a board development plan. This could include governance training, skills audits, or coaching to help trustees strengthen their roles and work effectively as a team.

Final Thoughts

Good governance is the foundation of a thriving charity. By embracing the three pillars – generative, strategic, and stewardship – trustees can transform governance from a box-ticking exercise into a dynamic, purposeful process. This doesn’t just benefit your board – it strengthens your entire organisation and amplifies your impact.

What’s Next?

If you’re ready to strengthen governance in your charity, download my free resource: “10 Governance Questions Every Trustee Should Ask.” It’s a simple, actionable checklist to help trustees align their work with best practices and lead with confidence. Click here for your copy.

Alternatively, if your board needs tailored support, let’s chat. I offer governance training, strategy workshops, and reviews designed to help your charity thrive. Together, we can turn governance challenges into opportunities. You can contact me here.

Finally, if we’re not connected on social media – what in the world? You can find me on LinkedIn and Instagram, and I’d love it if you’d follow me on either or both!