Board Effectiveness
How leadership development helped an NHS Trust strengthen board effectiveness, improve relationships and create a more open, engaged leadership culture.
For organisations facing significant change, an effective and aligned leadership team is essential. Boards must do more than oversee strategy: they need to work collaboratively, inspire confidence and create the conditions for others to take ownership of organisational goals.
LeaderShape worked with Ridgeway Partnership, an NHS Trust specialising in learning disability services, to strengthen board performance and develop the leadership behaviours needed to support organisational transformation.
KEY OUTCOMES
A more effective, engaged and collaborative board
Stronger Board Engagement
Executive Directors became more empowered and engaged in leading the organisation.
More Productive Meetings
Board meetings became more constructive, with longstanding issues being addressed.
Greater Openness and Trust
A more open and honest culture began to develop, supported by stronger relationships.
Improved Communication
Dialogue between executive and non-executive board members became more effective.
The programme helped the board develop the confidence, relationships and shared understanding needed to address difficult issues and lead organisational change.
THE ORGANISATION
Ridgeway Partnership NHS Trust
Ridgeway Partnership, formerly Oxfordshire Learning Disability NHS Trust, specialised in delivering services for people with learning disabilities and other complex health and social care needs across Oxfordshire and surrounding counties.
THE CHALLENGE
Strengthening board leadership during organisational change
In 2007, Ridgeway Partnership began working towards Foundation Trust status. This represented a significant organisational ambition, requiring strong leadership, confidence and a shared commitment to change.
An initial diagnostic exercise found no fundamental obstacles to achieving Foundation Trust status. However, it identified that the board needed to strengthen its effectiveness if it was to lead the organisation successfully through the transition.
Following discussions with the non-executive directors and the agreement of the Chief Executive, Ridgeway appointed LeaderShape to support the board's development.
The board needed to:
- Develop greater confidence and cohesion as a leadership team.
- Strengthen relationships between executive and non-executive directors.
- Improve openness, communication and constructive challenge.
- Address longstanding issues affecting board effectiveness.
- Develop leadership behaviours capable of supporting organisational change.
The challenge was not simply to improve board processes, but to develop a leadership culture capable of influencing the wider organisation.
LEADERSHAPE'S APPROACH
Developing an aligned and effective leadership team
LeaderShape began by interviewing every board member and observing board meetings to understand the challenges affecting collective effectiveness.
The findings were presented in a detailed, non-attributable report, providing a foundation for an agreed programme of board development.
01. Board Diagnosis
Individual interviews and meeting observations identified the issues affecting board relationships and effectiveness.
02. Board Development Workshops
A series of facilitated workshops brought executive and non-executive directors together to develop insight and practical solutions.
03. Leadership Coaching
Coaching for the Chair and Chief Executive supported their development and helped reinforce the programme's objectives.
04. Emotional Intelligence and Leadership
The programme explored Emotional Intelligence, six leadership styles and the behaviours needed to create a performance-enhancing culture.
Workshops were spaced approximately one month apart, allowing directors to reflect, practise new behaviours and implement agreed actions between sessions. This ensured the development programme remained grounded in the board's real organisational challenges.
LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE
Creating the conditions for a performance-enhancing culture
The programme encouraged board members to recognise the relationship between their own leadership behaviours and the organisational climate they created.
By developing greater self-awareness, understanding different leadership styles and strengthening relationships, the board began to create a more open and constructive environment for decision-making.
THE OUTCOMES
A stronger board better equipped to lead change
More Engaged Executive Directors
Executive Directors became more empowered and engaged in their leadership responsibilities.
Constructive and Productive Meetings
Board meetings became more constructive, enabling directors to tackle issues that had remained unresolved for some time.
Greater Openness and Honesty
A more open and honest leadership culture began to emerge, supported by improved relationships and stronger social interaction.
Stronger Executive and Non-Executive Relationships
Communication and dialogue between executive and non-executive board members became significantly more effective.
CLIENT PERSPECTIVE
Julia Clarke, Chief Executive of Ridgeway Partnership, described how LeaderShape challenged initial assumptions about what the organisation needed and introduced her to the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and leadership styles.
She was subsequently sufficiently impressed by the approach to join LeaderShape, contributing to the development of its expertise in NHS leadership and tailored organisational development programmes.
HEAR FROM THE CLIENT
Ridgeway Partnership's Leadership Journey
Hear from Julia Clarke about her experience of working with LeaderShape and the leadership development programme at Ridgeway Partnership.
Julia Clarke – LeaderShape Testimonial
Julia shares her experience of working with LeaderShape and its approach to leadership development.
Julia Clarke – Project for Hospital Trust
Julia discusses the leadership development project undertaken at Ridgeway Partnership.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Effective boards create the foundations for sustainable performance
The Ridgeway Partnership experience demonstrates that organisational transformation begins with leadership alignment and the behaviours demonstrated at the top.
By strengthening relationships, encouraging constructive dialogue and developing emotionally intelligent leadership, boards can create the conditions for a more engaged organisational culture and sustainable performance.
Historical note: Ridgeway Partnership subsequently merged with Southern Health.