Leading Together: Chairs & Chief Officers

A practical and reflective session to help Chairs and Vice Chairs understand their leadership role, develop a healthy and effective relationship with the Chief Officer, and prevent common difficulties arising from unclear roles, weak communication, or unresolved tensions.

The session will provide an opportunity to reflect on the dynamics of the Chair and Chief Officer relationship, explore what effective partnership looks like in practice, and consider how clarity, communication, and appropriate boundaries can support strong leadership. It will also focus on recognising and addressing issues early, before they develop into more significant difficulties.

 

Intended outcomes

By the end of the session, participants will be better able to:

• Describe the distinctive leadership role of the Chair and Vice Chair
• Distinguish between governance, oversight, and operational management
• Establish clear and constructive ways of working with the Chief Officer
• Balance support, challenge, and accountability
• Recognise early warning signs of relationship difficulty
• Respond appropriately when concerns, tensions, or disagreements arise
• Identify practical actions to strengthen their own Chair and Chief Officer relationship

The session is designed specifically for Chairs and Vice Chairs and will draw on the practical realities of these roles, providing space to reflect on experiences, consider different perspectives, and identify approaches that can be applied in practice.

 

 

This event is only open to Chair/Vice Chairs of Scottish voluntary sector organisations.