Proof that businesses can be a force for good

 It was a fascinating, inspiring and delightful conversation - Jo’s passion for her role and supporting the voluntary sector is contagious. She has a wealth of experience and knowledge, yet her humility is unmistakable. She consistently celebrates the achievements of others. 

Perhaps unusually, Jo is a leader without direct reports and yet her sphere of influence and the impact of her work is vast. 

KH: How important do you believe purpose and values are for a leader and their organisation? 

JLP: For me, it’s unimaginable not to have a clear purpose and vision, I’m sure this is common in the voluntary sector, which is naturally purpose driven.  Personally, as I came to the end of my time at university, I knew it was important for me to work in an organisation where it was about more than profit.  

KH: So, you would support the idea of ‘business as a force for good’? 

JLP: Yes, definitely. Whilst Lloyds Foundation for the Channel Islands is an independently registered charity, it is funded by the profits of Lloyds Banking Group and in almost 40 years, it’s given 750 million pounds to its Channel Island and UK Foundations. To me, it’s proof that business can be a force for good. The Foundation and the charities we support also benefit from the skills, expertise and time of bank colleagues through volunteering. 

Even before my role at Lloyds Bank Foundation, each role I have had has connected business and community with cross-sector working being the norm. For example, in a previous role in the UK, we worked with homeless charities and helped businesses discover how they could meaningfully engage with people experiencing homelessness. Obviously, those working in the business sector were not specialist professionals like social workers, health professionals or relationship counsellors, and they couldn’t provide accommodation for someone without a home. But what they could do was help and support employability by giving those struggling with homelessness a greater chance to gain and sustain employment – one thing which is so important to combat homelessness. They used the skills and experience within their business to provide job coaching, work experience and in some cases paid employment.  

KH: How important is good leadership in the charity sector? What are the hallmarks of good leadership? 

JLP: Leadership qualities in both the charity sector and in business are often very similar. Good leaders are compassionate, they have a passion for what they are doing. They have integrity, regardless of the sector they are leading. 

Some common qualities needed in charity leadership are agility and the courage to make brave decisions. The charity sector often needs to be very responsive, think quickly and be able to implement change swiftly. Leaders need to make courageous decisions about services offered and they must be the right ones to address the community needs at that moment in time. Leaders need to know when and how to adapt their organisations and how to maximise the impact within tight budgets. 

It has been said that leadership can be lonely, and I agree this is true for charity leaders. They need to be incredibly resilient; they need self-belief to continue to push on. It comes back to being very clear on your purpose and values. 

KH: We believe that great leaders have a living legacy mindset, they recognise the difference between the legacy they leave and a living legacy. Where do you see legacy in your leadership role? 

JLP: I think the best example I can give comes from an area of work I am passionate about. Inclusion is incredibly important to me and The Foundation. In 2023 we developed and piloted The Lived Experience Leadership Programme, bringing together charity leaders in both Guernsey and Jersey. ‘Lived experience’ refers to the knowledge and understanding you get when you have personally lived through something. For example, anyone who has experienced poor mental health will have lived experience in this area. 

Including individuals with lived experience in shaping services and influencing organisational culture and the good governance of an organisation is beneficial for  charity leaders but can present a number of challenges. 

For a leader to embed lived experience within their organisation takes time, commitment, innovation, and adaptability. Leaders need to be able to empower others - there is no place for ego.

They need to take the time to listen well, accepting there are different, and often better, ways to operate. It’s a privilege to be a part of something that can have such a profound, positive impact on the sector and the vital services they offer to the community. It’s brilliant to see new ways of working being implemented and lasting connections being made within the sector too. 

KH: We’ve touched on leaders needing resilience and leadership being a lonely place at times. How and where do you seek out feedback, challenge, and support? 

JLP: Not having an immediate team focuses me to invest time to cultivate meaningful relationships, that’s something that is important to me.  It does mean that when I seek out feedback, for example from charities whenever we are running an event or grant and developmental support programme, people are usually open to giving meaningful feedback. Even outside of a more structured process, charities are really good at giving thoughtful, well-considered feedback which is so valuable to me.  

I am grateful to work with a board who are incredibly hard-working and supportive, where high levels of trust, respect and shared purpose mean they are perfectly placed to offer insightful challenge and feedback when needed. 

I am also lucky to have great connections with other local grant-making organisations and our sister Lloyds Banking Group Foundations operating in England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. These connections are often the source of ideas and inspiration as well as support.