The New For Purpose CEO

What does truly inclusive leadership look like?
In this episode of The NFP CEO, Michelle and Danielle speak with Jo-Anne Hewitt, CEO of Achieve Australia, and Finn, CEO of Outloud and participant in the Disability Leadership Institute's CEO Internship Program.
They discuss how creating pathways for leaders with lived experience of disability strengthens organisations, improves governance, and challenges traditional ideas of executive leadership.
In this episode:
Why inclusive leadership is more than diversity.
How lived experience strengthens executive decision-making.
Practical ways CEOs can create more inclusive workplaces.
Lessons from the Disability Leadership Institute's CEO Internship Program.
Why challenging traditional recruitment and leadership pathways benefits everyone.

Whether you lead a charity, NDIS provider or other not-for-profit, this conversation offers practical insights into building stronger, more diverse leadership.
Disability Leadership Institute
Achieve Australia - tailored disability services in Sydney
Connect with us:
LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn
Website: thenfpceo.com.au
Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn
Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn

Many NFP leaders know they should be influencing government, yet too often advocacy becomes reactive, driven by crises, or focused on raising problems rather than presenting solutions.
In this episode of The NFP CEO, Michelle and Danielle are joined by advocacy strategist Louise Yablsey to unpack what effective advocacy really looks like and how CEOs can build long-term influence with governments, departments and decision-makers.
Whether you're a CEO of a service provider, a peak body or a growing for-purpose organisation, this conversation provides practical advice on creating an advocacy strategy that delivers impact.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why advocacy is a core responsibility for many not-for-profit CEOs and not an optional extra.
The distinction between advocacy and activism.
Why the most effective advocacy strategies focus on influencing a small number of key decision-makers.
How to move beyond simply highlighting problems and instead present solutions government can act on.
Common advocacy mistakes that limit influence and waste valuable resources.
How CEOs can build trusted relationships with ministers, MPs, advisers and senior public servants.
Why advocacy should be embedded across your organisation's communications, not treated as a standalone activity.
Practical ways boards can support advocacy without becoming involved in day-to-day implementation.
Meaningful advocacy metrics that go beyond counting meetings and submissions.
How to measure influence, build credibility and strengthen your organisation's reputation over time.

Listen if you're:
A CEO or executive in the not-for-profit or for-purpose sector.
A board director wanting to better understand advocacy governance.
Leading an organisation through policy reform or funding change.
Building relationships with government or departmental leaders.
Looking to develop a more strategic and effective advocacy approach.

Subscribe to The NFP CEO for practical conversations on leadership, governance, strategy and the real-world challenges facing today's not-for-profit CEOs.
Louise Yabsley - Watt Advocacy & Communications
Complimentary Advocacy Template to get you started: So where do we start? Creating an effective advocacy strategy, not just a to do list - Watt Advocacy & Communications
Connect with us:
LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn
Website: thenfpceo.com.au
Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn
Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn

Board papers are one of the most important tools a CEO has to support effective governance. Yet they're also one of the most common sources of frustration between CEOs and boards.
In this episode of The NFP CEO Podcast, Michelle and Danielle unpack the three biggest complaints directors raise about board papers and share practical strategies CEOs can use to improve board reporting, strengthen board relationships, and drive better governance outcomes.
If you've ever heard feedback that your board papers are too long, unclear, too detailed, or not strategic enough, this episode is for you.
In This Episode
1. Unclear Purpose and Decision Requests
One of the most common director frustrations is reading an entire board paper and still not knowing:
Why they're receiving it
Whether a decision is required
What action they need to take
What feedback is being sought

A consistent board paper template can dramatically improve board engagement and decision-making.
2. Reporting Activities Instead of Insights
Many CEO reports become lengthy lists of meetings, activities, and operational updates.
The discussion explores how CEOs can structure reporting around strategic priorities and strategic pillars, helping directors connect operational activity to organisational outcomes and long-term strategy.
3. Hiding Risks in the Detail
Trust between a CEO and board can quickly erode when directors feel important information is buried in lengthy reports.
Rather than avoiding bad news, effective CEOs demonstrate leadership by showing that risks have been identified, assessed, and are actively being managed.
Takeaways for CEOs
✔ Make the purpose of every board paper clear from the first page.
✔ Tell directors exactly what you need from them - decision, discussion, feedback, or noting.
✔ Move beyond activity reporting and provide strategic insights.
✔ Structure CEO reports around strategic priorities rather than chronological updates.
✔ Report risks openly and explain how management is responding.
✔ Focus on helping directors govern strategically rather than drawing them into operational detail.
✔ Remember that effective board papers build trust, improve governance, and create better board conversations.
Download our free resource: NFP CEO Resources: Empowering Nonprofit Leaders
Connect with us:
LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn
Website: thenfpceo.com.au
Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn
Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn

The power of no.
As a not-for-profit CEO, opportunities come at you from every direction—boards with big ideas, funders with new initiatives, partnership proposals, and emerging community needs. The challenge isn't finding opportunities; it's deciding which ones deserve a yes.
In this episode of The NFP CEO, Michelle and Danielle unpack a practical decision-making framework to help leaders assess strategic opportunities with confidence. Rather than relying on instinct, optimism, or pressure from others, they explore how CEOs can evaluate opportunities through multiple lenses to determine whether they truly advance the organisation's purpose and strategy.
Sometimes the most strategic leadership decision is saying no.
In This Episode
Why CEOs and boards often default to saying "yes"
The hidden costs of pursuing every opportunity
The difference between asking "Can we do this?" and "Should we do this?"
How to create a structured framework for strategic decision-making
Why saying yes to one thing always means saying no to something else
The role of strategic fit, culture, capability, and stakeholder impact
When collaboration may be a better option than ownership
Why pilots can be a powerful way to test opportunities safely
How to distinguish between opportunities that propel the organisation forward and those that become anchors

Access to the NO-FRAME matrix: NFP CEO Resources: Empowering Nonprofit Leaders
Connect with us:
LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn
Website: thenfpceo.com.au
Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn
Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn

Are your people disengaged or simply overwhelmed?
In this episode of The NFP CEO, Michelle and Danielle explore why employee engagement, workplace resilience and staff retention are increasingly challenging in the not-for-profit sector. Drawing on research about the "quiet erosion of hope at work", they discuss how funding pressures, increasing demand, compliance requirements and resource constraints impact workplace culture.
The conversation examines the critical role of middle managers in shaping employee experience, why engagement is often a team-level issue rather than an organisation-wide problem, and what CEOs can do to build resilient, high-performing teams.
In this episode:
Employee engagement and workplace culture in not-for-profits
The link between leadership, resilience and staff retention
People leave managers, not organisations
Supporting middle managers to lead effectively
Managing workload, burnout and capacity constraints
Creating psychological safety and feedback cultures
Communicating priorities during organisational change
Building stronger teams through recognition and connection

Purpose attracts great people to the for-purpose sector, but purpose alone isn't enough. CEOs who invest in leadership capability, clear communication and manager support create workplaces where people can thrive, even in challenging environments.
Article referenced in episode: The Quiet Erosion of Hope at Work | Everything DiSC
Connect with us:
LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn
Website: thenfpceo.com.au
Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn
Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn