The Leader You Want vs. The Leader You Need

Anna Skeels

Founder and Director, Social Compass Group

With over 25 years' experience in executive and board recruitment, Anna has built her career at the critical intersection of governance, leadership and organisational sustainability. She has partnered with boards, CEOs and executive teams across the not-for-profit sector to recruit Board Directors, CEOs and senior leaders in operations, supporting organisations delivering essential social impact during times of both stability and significant transformation.

Anna's approach to recruitment is grounded in the principles that underpin courageous governance: listening deeply, acting with integrity and making decisions that balance immediate needs with long-term mission. She is known for her ethical, creative and transparent methodology—keeping all stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the process. This has enabled her to guide boards through some of their most consequential decisions: appointing leaders who can navigate funding volatility, drive innovation - navigating organisations through periods of uncertainty and change.

Working directly with boards as a trusted advisor, Anna has developed a keen understanding of the leadership qualities required for today's pathfinding environment. She supports boards to look beyond traditional role requirements and identify candidates who bring courage, adaptability, strategic vision and deep values alignment—leaders who can integrate governance discipline with the willingness to explore new approaches and challenge the status quo.

Her work offers a unique vantage point on the current and evolving leadership landscape in the NFP sector. Anna has witnessed firsthand how boards that govern with courage make decisive leadership appointments even when the path forward is unclear, how they create permission for exploration and innovation, and how they build teams capable of adapting to rapid environmental shifts while maintaining unwavering commitment to mission and community impact.

As a speaker at the Better Boards Conference, Anna will share practical insights drawn from two decades of supporting boards through critical leadership decisions. She will explore how boards can strengthen their governance through strategic recruitment, how to identify and appoint leaders with pathfinder qualities, and how to create organisational cultures that enable teams to navigate obstacles and seize opportunities in an increasingly complex operating environment.