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About Governance and leadership

Photo: Children running 

What is governance?

Governance has been described as ‘the systems and processes concerned with ensuring the overall direction, effectiveness, supervision and accountability of an organisation’.

What is leadership?

Leadership is more difficult to define with there being ‘…almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept’.  However, the definition of a leader from Charles Handy: ‘A leader shapes and shares a vision which gives point to the work of others…it must stretch people’s imaginations but still be within the bounds of possibility’ – may be helpful to an understanding of the concept. 

Leadership and governance: two sides of the same coin

Leadership and governance must be seen as complementary concepts. They are inextricably linked, as boards require trustees with leadership skills, and leaders cannot ignore the importance of good governance. In this business plan, we talk about leadership skills and governance knowledge as this captures the difference between the two, as well as indicating their mutual importance.

Why are governance and leadership important fror your organisation?

Good governance and effective leadership are essential to ensuring the effectiveness, sustainability and vitality of any organisation.