Stephen Murgatroyd is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta.
Middle managers are a critical part of organizational intelligence, Stephen Murgatroyd writes. If the middle is weak, change becomes compliance, theatre, or resistance. If the middle is strong, change becomes learning.
Instead of asking, “Who is the best leader?” contributor Stephen Murgatroyd argues, boards should be asking, “What kind of leadership is required by this organization now?”
Boards that continue to recruit yesterday’s leadership profile will unintentionally constrain their organizations’ future capacity. Contributor Stephen Murgatroyd outlines the core capabilities non-profit boards should prioritize when appointing executive directors in 2026.
Amidst volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous conditions, oversight without sense-making can become governance theatre. Contributor Stephen Murgatroyd outlines the practical steps boards can take to become sense-making engines.
Ten practical use cases illustrate how AI is becoming part of the non-profit sector’s core infrastructure – and the strategic implications for boards, executives, and funders.
