Chair Training

Exceptional Leadership Through Expert Chair Training

Advanced Training for Outstanding Board and Committee Leadership

The role of chair is pivotal to governance effectiveness, requiring sophisticated leadership skills that extend far beyond managing meetings.

Some people love taking on the challenge of chair, for others it’s a role that they fall into, or get talked into because no one else on the board wants to take it on.

My chair training programmes provide the advanced knowledge, skills, and confidence needed for exceptional leadership, regardless of whether you put your hand up for the role or were gently (?) pushed into it.

I can help you to confidently guide strategic direction, facilitate effective decision-making, and inspire high-performing boards.

The Critical Importance of Effective Chair Leadership

The chair sets the tone, pace, and effectiveness of any governing body. Whether leading a charity board, school governing body, public sector committee, or corporate board, the chair's leadership directly impacts organisational performance, stakeholder confidence, and strategic success. It’s a demanding role, though it’s absolutely not about individual decision-making, or dominating the board. None of your trustees or fellow governors should be sitting back and letting you make decisions for them. You’re leading the team, as part of the team. It’s a tricky role to do well, and boards with great chairs can fly higher than the others.

Exceptional chair leadership involves:

  • Strategic visioning and long-term planning facilitation

  • Complex stakeholder relationship management and representation

  • Guiding high-stakes decision-making

  • Crisis leadership

  • Performance management of chief executives and senior leaders

  • Board culture development and continuous improvement

  • External representation and organisational ambassadorship

  • Conflict resolution and difficult conversation management

  • Succession planning and governance sustainability

The Challenge of Chair Leadership

Many chairs are appointed based on their professional success or sector expertise, but find themselves unprepared for the unique demands of governance leadership. Common challenges include:

  • Managing diverse personalities and perspectives within board dynamics, including managing dominant voices and wallflowers

  • Balancing strategic oversight with operational support

  • Facilitating difficult decisions and managing conflict

  • Providing effective challenge and support to chief executives

  • Representing the organisation externally whilst managing internal responsibilities

  • Leading change and transformation through governance processes

  • Building and maintaining stakeholder confidence and relationships

  • Ensuring board effectiveness and continuous improvement

My professional chair training addresses these challenges by providing advanced leadership frameworks, practical tools, and proven strategies for governance excellence.

I have

  • 6 years’ experience as a charity trustee

  • 9 years’ experience as a school governor

  • 7 years’ experience as the chair of a school governing body

  • Dealt with staff complaints, parent complaints, recruiting a headteacher, mentoring the headteacher in his first headship, recruited a deputy head teacher and several assistant headteachers.

“I worked with Monika for a year as a new head and she provided excellent coaching and support for me during what was a tricky time for both myself taking up a new headship and the school during a period of significant change. Monika provided supportive coaching throughout the year which gave me space to think outside the box and challenge existing pre-conceptions regarding procedures and processes.”

Richard. Headteacher.

My Comprehensive Chair Training Programme

Foundation Chair Leadership

Essential skills and knowledge for new and developing chairs, both reluctant and enthusiastic, across all sectors and organisational types.

Chair Role and Responsibilities

  • Understanding the unique position and authority of the chair (what being a chair is, and is not)

  • Legal duties and liabilities specific to chair leadership

  • Relationship management with chief executives and senior staff

  • Board meeting leadership and facilitation excellence

  • Decision-making processes and conflict resolution

  • Strategic planning leadership and implementation oversight

Meeting Leadership and Facilitation

  • Advanced meeting design and agenda management

  • Facilitating productive discussions and debate

  • Managing dominant personalities and encouraging participation

  • Time management and meeting efficiency techniques

  • Decision-making processes and consensus building

  • Developing your relationship with your clerk

  • Follow-up and action implementation systems

Strategic Leadership and Vision

  • Leading strategic planning processes and retreats

  • Environmental scanning and strategic analysis facilitation

  • Vision development and stakeholder engagement

  • Change leadership and transformation management

  • Innovation encouragement and risk management

  • Long-term sustainability and succession planning

Specialist Chair Training

Tailored programmes for chairs serving in specific contexts or facing particular challenges.

Crisis Leadership and Management

  • Crisis response planning and implementation

  • Stakeholder communication during crises

  • Decision-making under pressure and uncertainty

  • Media management and reputation protection

  • Recovery planning and organisational rebuilding

  • Learning and improvement after crisis situations

Transformation and Change Leadership

  • Leading organisational transformation through governance

  • Change communication and stakeholder engagement

  • Managing resistance and building consensus

  • Innovation facilitation and strategic development

  • Performance monitoring during transformation

  • Sustaining change and continuous improvement

Merger and Partnership Leadership

  • Due diligence oversight and strategic evaluation

  • Stakeholder engagement and communication

  • Cultural integration and values alignment

  • Governance structure design and implementation

  • Risk management and mitigation strategies

  • Success measurement and evaluation frameworks

Advanced Chair Development

For experienced chairs seeking to enhance their leadership effectiveness and organisational impact.

High-Performance Board Leadership

  • Board performance evaluation and improvement planning

  • Director recruitment, induction, and development

  • Board culture creation and maintenance

  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership

  • Board succession planning and renewal

  • Governance innovation and best practice implementation

Stakeholder Leadership and External Relations

  • Complex stakeholder relationship management

  • External representation and ambassadorial excellence

  • Crisis communication and reputation management

  • Partnership development and strategic alliances

  • Fundraising leadership and donor cultivation

  • Public speaking

Organisational Leadership and Development

  • Leading organisational transformation and change

  • Performance management of chief executives

  • Strategic planning and long-term visioning

  • Risk management and crisis leadership

  • Innovation encouragement and strategic development

  • Organisational culture and values leadership

My Training Methodology and Approach

My chair training combines leadership theory with practical governance application, ensuring participants can immediately implement learning in their chair roles.

Executive Coaching Elements

One-to-one coaching components address individual leadership challenges and development needs.

Peer Learning Networks

Group sessions create opportunities for chairs to learn from each other's experiences and challenges.

Scenario-Based Learning

Complex governance scenarios help chairs develop decision-making skills and strategic thinking capabilities.

Ongoing Support

Training can include follow-up mentoring and scenario planning to help chairs lead in specific situations.

Tailored Training Solutions

Every chair and organisation has unique characteristics, challenges, and development needs. I work with organisations to develop bespoke training programmes:

  • Intensive one-to-one development programmes for chairs facing specific challenges or seeking enhanced effectiveness.

  • Training for chairs, vice-chairs, and committee chairs to enhance collective leadership effectiveness.

  • Programmes preparing future chairs and supporting leadership transitions.

  • Intensive support for chairs leading organisations through significant challenges or transformations.

The Impact of My Professional Chair Training

  • Enhanced Strategic Leadership: Chairs equipped with advanced skills provide clearer direction, better strategic oversight, and more effective organisational leadership.

  • Improved Board Effectiveness: Skilled chairs create more productive meetings, better decision-making processes, and stronger board cultures.

  • Stronger Stakeholder Relationships: Professional chair leadership enhances organisational credibility and stakeholder confidence.

  • Better Organisational Performance: Effective chair leadership directly contributes to improved organisational outcomes and strategic success.

  • Increased Leadership Sustainability: Well-trained chairs are more likely to serve effectively for longer periods and develop strong succession plans.

Invest in Leadership Excellence

Professional chair training ensures that the person you task with leading your organisation at top level is informed, skilled and confident in what they need to deliver and how they need to deliver it.

My training programmes can be delivered as intensive workshops, ongoing development series, or integrated with governance planning processes.

The investment in chair development pays dividends through enhanced governance effectiveness, improved organisational performance, and stronger stakeholder confidence.

Beginning Your Chair Leadership Journey

Whether you're a new chair seeking foundation skills or an experienced chair looking to enhance your effectiveness, my professional training provides the advanced knowledge and confidence you need to perform the role well. There’s little worse than knowing all eyes are on you to manage something well while feeling that you’re floundering.

My programmes can be tailored for individual chairs, chair teams (eg chair, co chairs, vice chairs, and committee chairs), or mixed groups from multiple organisations. All training begins with consultation so that I can understand your specific needs, worries, strengths and leadership contexts.

Contact me to discuss your chair training requirements so that I can develop a programme that will work for you.