Introduction to the Module
This session is the Introduction to the Module: Governance and Leadership
This module recognises that Governance and Leadership for social enterprises, if implemented well, is a means for them to reach their highest potential. It is essential that board members are enabled to contribute by offering their fullest potential toward the social enterprise meeting or exceeding its Mission and Goals. Unfortunately, not all social enterprises adopt appropriate Governance and Leadership strategies and practices to deliver stakeholder expectations.
60 minutes
The lesson Introducing Effective Governance and Leadership will take you approximately 60 minutes to complete, if you only follow the explanations. The case assignments will take more time and force you to expand your wings to put the theory into practice to internalise it.
40 minutes
The lesson How Can We Manage Changing Stakeholder Expectations? will take you approximately 40 minutes to complete if you only follow the explanations.
30 minutes
The lesson The Power of the Vision Driven Enterprise will take you 30 minutes to complete, that is, if you just follow the explanations.
In the video above we heard the social enterprise governors discussing their own different approaches to governance, such as:
The role of Governance of a social enterprises is to safeguard the Mission [or purpose] of the enterprise while Leadership should enable the management team in meeting or exceeding the demands of stakeholders as investors, employees, clients and beneficiaries, as well as comply with public policies and regulations. Leaders are thus considered in this respect as operationally driven, while governors act as controllers of the enterprise.
This module recognises that no single Governance or Leadership structure fits all social enterprises. Rather, Governance through Leadership should be agile thus ready to adopt new practices and adapt to the changing needs of the management team.
When Governance incorporates a good risk management approach the social enterprise will be best suited to the ever changing operating and regulatory environment, and the Mission, Goals and Vision of the social enterprise over its lifespan.
This module recognises that Governance and Leadership, not only need to work together but, must be able to adapt with the changing needs of the internal and external forces of change. The process of environmental scanning, such as PESTEL Analysis is best suited to appraise changes within the external environmental with respect to Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal changes and initiatives.
