A new kind of leadership

“You can’t escape the report’s bleak assessment. It describes a sector withering on the vine.” Richard Taylor reflected on the report’s findings.

“Revenues are dwindling, trust is declining, relevance is being questioned. The only thing that seems to be on the rise is self-doubt.”  

Richard, who has worked in charity leadership for over twenty years and served as Chair of the Institute of Fundraising, was the keynote speaker at the Future Charity Event. The event, which followed the publication of the Future Charity Report, was designed to bring leaders together to build energy, awareness and evidence around the need for change within the Charity Sector.

In Richard's poignant talk, he said that there is a danger in hiding behind a system and believing it is somehow sacrosanct, when that system will change. “Old rules no longer apply,” he said.

There is no status quo. The old rules are redundant. Positional power is no guarantee for future power.

Richard is now a Leadership Coach, working with people across and beyond the sector, to empower and build confidence amongst leaders. He described a 'new kind of leadership' based upon creating meaning through facilitation, mentoring and coaching, rather than traditional knowledge and formal hierarchy. Richard said that "narration and curation are more important than command and control. It’s about collaboration, with community at its heart.”

Richard's talk touched on the political shifts and global context we're living within, as trust in democracy is falling and traditional forms of leadership we've grown so used to become obsolete. Our politicians - Eton educated leaders - have never really related to the people they serve. So perhaps it's unsurprising that we’re witnessing a growing feeling that rejects deference and hierarchy.

He spoke of individual actors bringing down establishments across the globe, making reference to the whistleblowers who exposed the corruption within the sector. "How can leaders be so deaf to what's happening right in front of them?"

Position and knowledge have lost their authority.

He called for action amongst leaders, and for them to step-up and be the change we all need to see.

“Confident leaders will know their narrative and be crystal clear on how to curate it. They will nurture a culture that explicitly rejects command and control… And they will be recognised at a personal level for being brave, for being passionate, humble and most of all for being authentic.” Richard emphasised the importance of tapping into the emotions of the workforce, as well as being in touch with their customers.

Knowledge is shared and owned by everyone. Strong leaders tap into and reflect the collective mindset and the mood. But the hierarchy's failure to hear the mood music, means they are losing the collective respect.

The push towards authentic and honest leadership feels long overdue. It was a clear finding in the report, and Richard's and others' talks on the day pointed to the need for leaders to be brave, to be vulnerable, and take a good look at what it is holding us back from making the changes we know we need to make. What will it take for us to let go and give others the space to change the record?

With a tongue in cheek reference to his own career change, Richard’s called for the sector to prioritise coaching and mentoring at all levels. He said we need to be giving Trustees and CEOs the safe environment that they need to ask na?ve, risky and exposing questions, where they can play out their fears, and rehearse their arguments, so that they are supported through the hardest part of their role, stewarding the organisation through the array of change the world is imposing on us.

Richard has since co-founded coaching agency, KiKu. KiKu seeks to provide high quality coaching, with an emphasis on presence in the moment, challenge, and support. Check out their offer here www.kikucoaching.co.uk

Get involved.

KiKu will hopefully join Kivo and the Future Charity team in hosting an event in summer, where we'll be harnessing the confidence to change.

If there is anything you can do to start moving us towards a more collaborative and effective sector, do it. If you need any help in working out what 'it' might be, or you want to get involved with future activities, get in touch [email protected]