Across the sector, change isn’t coming, it’s already here. Global commitments and funding are dwindling, and more organisations are shifting their operations to different regions in response to the political climate. Our Director of Leadership and Change shares how Boards can prepare.
In the past two years, more than 70% of the Boards we’ve supported have been navigating significant transition, driven by shifts in leadership, structure, geography or mandate. For many climate and nature focused organisations, this reflects the wider reality: the landscape they operate in is shifting fast, and Boards must keep pace.
One pattern stands out, when Boards approach governance as a leadership practice that is grounded in purpose, alignment, and trust, they become sharper, faster, and more connected to the missions they serve.
In our Board evaluations, organisations that invested in structured reflection and alignment reported up to 40% stronger collaboration and around 30% faster decision-making within six months. These improvements rarely come from new frameworks or policies. They come from stronger relationships, clearer expectations, and a renewed sense of collective accountability.
The Boards that navigate transition well don’t wait for change to happen to them. They design for it. They use moments of uncertainty to pause, learn, and realign around purpose before moving forward with intent.
What High-Performing Boards Do Differently
1. They prioritise culture as much as compliance.
Governance is not only about structures and processes, it’s about how people behave when decisions matter most. The most effective boards create environments where challenge is constructive, accountability is shared and psychological safety enables decisive action, even in the most challenging of contexts.
2. They plan succession before it’s urgent.
Most For-purpose organisations don’t have a formal succession plan. High-performing boards treat leadership continuity as a form of stewardship: mentoring future chairs, documenting institutional memory and embedding learning into their annual rhythm.
3. They treat diversity as a performance advantage.
According to McKinsey’s 2023 Diversity Wins study, diverse boards are 43% more likely to outperform on innovation. For conservation, climate and sustainability organisations, where decisions have global impact, representation from the Global South and lived experience strengthens legitimacy and resilience.
4. They make time to pause.
High-performing boards build structured reflection into their governance. Evaluations, alignment sessions and facilitated discussions create the space needed for honest assessment and shared understanding. Reflection doesn’t slow a board down, it enables healthier acceleration, especially in fast-moving contexts.
The Challenge Ahead
In a period defined by overlapping global challenges, Boards are being asked to do more, decide more and answer to more stakeholders. The strongest boards respond with humility and the willingness to ask whether they are fit for the future they expect their organisations to navigate.
As one trustee reflected during a recent review:
“We realised we didn’t need new rules. We needed new habits.”
Change will continue to reshape the sector. The question for every Board is not whether they will face it, but whether they will manage it or model it.
References:
Bond Governance Pulse Survey (2024) – Findings on governance trends, restructuring and board transitions in INGOs
McKinsey & Company (2023) – Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters (innovation and performance correlation).
Jenna Pilley
With an interest in organisational development and a passion for people, Jenna has committed herself to guiding businesses in the attraction and development of top talent. Having studied Organisational Psychology at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, she further specialised in the use of Psychometric Assessments and is accredited on several tools. She is currently a Health Professions Council of South Africa Registered Psychometrist with 10 years of relevant experience.
Jenna has a background in working with multicultural organisations in South Africa, Africa, and Europe and has had extensive consulting experience with both private and public sector companies. Through the use of psychology-based talent management initiatives, she is driven to support organisations in identifying and growing their talent, particularly at an executive level.
