Governing with Purpose: How to lead a brilliant board – a guide for charity trustees

by Brian Cavanagh

Nothing really prepares you for what it’s like to become a board trustee of a charity you believe in; nothing, that is, until now. This book talks you through how to become a brilliant board trustee, carry out your roles effectively and even enjoy the experience. Written by a current board member, for boards and their trustees, each chapter outlines the key approaches to take to become part of an empowered and brilliant board. Discover the principles of Governing with Purpose, and find out why governance and leadership are core values for board trustees. Above all, it speaks to the value of your role in leading a charity to achieve its objectives. Brian Cavanagh has over 25 years’ experience of governance and leadership in the public sector in Scotland. He is the CEO of Calibrate, a mentoring consultancy specializing in strategic leadership and board governance for the charity sector in UK and Ireland. Brian chairs an SME in Scotland and is a board member of a housing association in Ireland.

210 pages, Paperback

Published September 13, 2022

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a slow burn - I started it in the summer when I first became a trustee of a charity. So I can’t really remember the take-aways, apart from the fact that it gave me the confidence I needed when first starting as the Board Secretary and also hopefully got me thinking about the stuff I needed to think about when I was starting out in the meetings. I certainly underlined a lot, especially at the start.
Probably the most useful point was the clarification that the role of the board is strategic oversight (future focus) - not checking up on the CEO (past focus.) It was also a good reminder of how helpful a trustee can be if they take initiative and step up - without even necessarily waiting to be asked. I think this book helped me do that.