Purpose Under Pressure: The Governance Conversations Boards Need Now($14.46Value)

Description

Boards are working harder than ever — and still feeling slightly behind. Agendas are full. Papers are thicker. Committees multiply. Yet between meetings, the same quiet unease lingers: did we actually talk about what matters? Purpose Under Pressure is a thought-led, experience-grounded guide for directors and chairs of charities and not-for-profits governing through a landscape that no longer resembles the one their structures were built for. Funding is tighter. Scrutiny is faster. Trust is more fragile. Cyber, safeguarding, workforce and climate pressures can become reputational events within hours. The bar for board judgement has quietly moved — and many boards are governing for an organisation that no longer exists. Drawing on nearly two decades inside frontline regulation and board leadership, Janet Attwood reframes governance from the inside out. She introduces Governing Ahead as a discipline — the capacity to notice early signals, test assumptions and adjust governance grip before strain becomes harm. And she organises the work of the modern board around eight essential conversations that high-performing boards are already having, and struggling boards keep deferring. Inside, you'll explore: Who you actually are in the boardroom — and how presence shapes judgement - The altitude question: are you governing, or quietly doing management's work? - What sustainability really means beyond the funding line - Trust, assurance, and the illusion of control - When governance structures help — and when they hold you back - Impact vs. activity: how to know you're making the difference you claim - Governing in a system, not just an organisation - Designing the board your organisation will need next This is not a rulebook, compliance manual, or checklist. There are no templates to copy, and no single model of "good governance" prescribed. What you'll find instead is language, lenses and boardroom prompts that help you raise harder conversations productively — and a way of thinking that strengthens judgement under pressure, without adding volume. Written for directors and chairs who: Sense familiar governance habits no longer fit the pressures their organisation is facing - Want stronger assurance without defaulting to heavier governance - Leave board meetings with full agendas yet a feeling something important was missed - Want to modernise how their board governs without losing purpose, values or community impact - Accept that good governance depends on judgement, not just compliance If you're ready to govern for the organisation that exists now — and the one it is becoming — this book gives you the conversations to start.