Session 4: Leading with Purpose: The Foundations of Good Governance
Session 4 will be an engaging and solutions-focused session with Sandy Thompson from the LEAD Centre for Not for Profit Governance and Leadership.
Good governance is the quiet engine behind strong, reliable social services. It helps you stay focused on purpose, make sound decisions, manage risk, and use resources wisely, so your team can deliver with confidence.
When governance is clear and fit for purpose, it strengthens accountability to whānau and communities, supports staff and volunteers to do their best work, and improves resourcing and organisational responsiveness to the people you serve.
This session will focus on the practical things that make the biggest difference. You will leave with a clear, shared understanding of what “good governance” looks like in practice, and a set of sensible next steps you can apply straight away.
Together, we will:
• reflect on governance practices that have impacted us and our communities
• explore Aotearoa/New Zealand grown guides and tools to enhance board effectiveness
• tackle current governance challenges and find practical, future-focused solutions
• discuss how we can strengthen and sustain our community organisations through governance leadership
Sandy Thompson, Director & CEO of LEAD Centre for Not for Profit Governance and Leadership
Sandy’s longstanding commitment to the strength and potential of communities has shaped a career spanning several decades as a trainer, consultant, coach, and facilitator in the community and not-for-profit sectors. Her involvement in the sector began in the 1970s as a youth leader in Whangarei and has continued over the decades through a wide range of leadership, governance, and capacity-building roles.
Before co-founding LEAD, Sandy led the delivery of the Unitec Graduate Diploma in Not-for-Profit Management and served as the founding leader of the National Association for OSCAR. She has extensive experience working alongside boards, senior leaders, and community practitioners across Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific, supporting them to navigate the challenges and opportunities of community leadership.
Sandy is known for her values-based approach and brings deep sector knowledge to her work in facilitation, mentoring, coaching, and training for community leaders, boards, and facilitators.
