The Fine Art of Strategic and Operational Leadership

As the Chair of the Board of Governors at a local school for children with special needs, I see firsthand the challenges in striking the right balance between strategic and operational leadership to ensure good governance is embedded in the organisation. My experience of building governance models for complex programs and leading boards with C-suite stakeholders has really worked in my favour here as I try to navigate my way through an unfamiliar sector whilst ensuring the best possible outcome for the children. Good governance is essential for organisations?of all types?and sizes to operate?effectively, and in?the best interests of their?stakeholders. Done right, it?provides a framework of?rules, practices, and processes that?ensure accountability, fairness, transparency,?and responsible decision-making.

Strategic leadership is about setting the overarching vision and direction for the organisation. As a board, we need to provide the space for the staff to do their jobs, enabling them to operate in the most effective way, while we look beyond day-to-day operations and consider the long-term goals and objectives of the school. This includes identifying strategic priorities, monitoring progress against key performance indicators, and ensuring the school is well-positioned to navigate future challenges and opportunities.

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While strategic leadership sets the course, operational leadership is about steering the ship. The school leadership team is responsible for executing the strategic plan and managing daily operations. Overseeing staff and student performance, managing budgets and financial reporting, and developing and implementing policies and procedures are all part of the operational day to day functions of the school.

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Effective governance requires finding the sweet spot between strategic and operational leadership. If the board becomes involved in operational details, it can create confusion and undermine the authority of the school leadership team. Conversely, if the board is too hands-off, it may fail to provide adequate oversight and guidance. Using a servant leader approach when we delivered the 2012 Olympics programme at Sky, I set the parameters of the programme both at a strategic and financial level and empowered the teams to leverage their operational expertise to deliver a hugely successful project.

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Here are some key principles I've found helpful:

• Clearly define roles and responsibilities between Strategic and Operational leadership
• Establish regular communication channels to stay informed without micromanaging
• Focus board meetings on strategic discussions, while leaving operational updates to written reports
• Build a culture of trust and collaboration, recognising that everyone is working towards the same goal

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At the end of the day, good governance is about ensuring the organisation is able to fulfil its mission and provide the best possible outcomes. By striking the right balance between strategic and operational leadership, we can create a strong foundation for success.