Leadership in complex, values-led organisations doesn’t follow a neat script.
For CEOs and boards working in membership bodies, professional organisations or charities, the challenge is often not just about setting direction. It’s about balancing competing priorities and evolving, without losing sight of your purpose.
Over the past decade, we’ve seen this play out through Tom Grinyer’s leadership across three very different membership organisations, as CEO of each: the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA), the British Medical Association (BMA) and now at the Institute of Physics (IOP).
Each organisation has operated in very different contexts and under different pressures. But there’s a consistency in how Tom has navigated these environments that feels increasingly relevant for modern leaders.
Leadership starts with listening
When leaders step into a new role, there is often an expectation to act quickly: to take charge, set direction and make visible change.
Instead, in each of his roles, Tom has started by listening, creating space and building trust:
“Our members are at the heart of everything we do… creating a strong, authentic link to their ambitions and voices is key to our success.”
He practices this by:
- understanding the lived experience of members, staff and stakeholders
- taking time to hear different perspectives, especially where there is tension
- avoiding early assumptions about what needs to change
Membership organisations are shaped by their history, identity and relationships. New leaders need to understand that and show it in the decisions they make from day one.
If people can’t see this, it’s harder to bring them with you, even when the decision itself makes sense.
Context shapes challenge
No two leadership environments are the same, and one of the most important capabilities a CEO can bring is the ability to read context clearly.
At RCoA, the challenge was to modernise governance and raise the profile and influence of anaesthesia in an increasingly scrutinised healthcare system.
At the BMA, the context was far more immediate and intense. The priority was to restructure following a turbulent period, only to be tested almost immediately by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unsurprisingly, the profession was under immense pressure, and the organisation was expected to represent a diverse, sometimes divided, membership.
At the IOP, Tom faced his third challenge. The organisation had strong foundations and growing influence, but needed a clearer sense of purpose, a stronger connection with members and a more confident voice in how science contributes to society.
There isn’t a single way to lead here, but understanding the context shapes what’s needed and how leaders respond.
Working through competing priorities
In membership organisations, much of the work sits in how leaders handle competing priorities.
The same questions come up repeatedly, and they rarely resolve cleanly, with many tensions appearing again and again:
- Member needs versus public interest
- Heritage versus innovation
- Stability versus change
The instinct can be to rush to solve these challenges quickly by choosing one side or oversimplifying.
What stands out is how leaders sit in complexity, making space for different perspectives and moving things forward without forcing a neat answer.
This requires confidence and patience, as well as a willingness to accept that not every decision will land for everyone. But thoughtful, values-led leadership builds trust in how those decisions are made.
Strategy as a way of working
One of the most consistent themes in Tom’s leadership is his approach to strategy. Rather than a static document that sits on a shelf, he ensures the organisation is united behind it and lives it every day.
At the BMA, the strategy became a living framework, able to adapt quickly in response to external pressures.
At the IOP, the ‘Physics for our Future’ strategy takes a similar approach. Built around three simple priorities, skills, science and society, it was shaped with members and staff and continues to evolve as the organisation does.
In modern organisations, strategy is no longer just about direction. It is something to be shared, not owned.
As reflected in the Institute’s approach:
“it is by working together that we increase impact for the benefit of society.”
You see it in how people are brought into the work and how decisions are made as things change. Across the membership sector, the organisations that can adapt are the ones that tend to stay aligned.
Making purpose visible
In values-led organisations, purpose sits at the centre, but it only works when people can see it in the work.
At the IOP, there has been a clearer articulation of why physics matters more widely. From healthcare and climate solutions to technology and economic growth, it’s positioned as part of everyday life.
That shows up in initiatives like the Limit Less campaign, which challenges assumptions about who physics is for and opens up pathways for young people from underrepresented backgrounds.
More recently, it’s visible in how the organisation has responded to changes in government funding, alongside a stronger focus on storytelling through social media and content like the ‘Quantum in 60 seconds’ series.
For Tom, purpose isn’t just something you define; it’s something people need to see and feel in action.
Culture is shaped by how leaders show up
Strategy and structure matter, but culture is what carries change over time.
Across all three organisations, there’s a consistency in how Tom works with people, how decisions are approached and the space created for others to contribute.
Tom’s emphasis is:
- collaborative rather than hierarchical
- inclusive rather than exclusive
- focused on long-term impact rather than short-term wins
But more than that, it is about presence: creating space for others to contribute, listening and responding with care.
It isn’t always the most visible form of leadership, but it can have a great impact on how others work and how the organisation operates in the long-term.
What leaders can learn
Looking across Tom’s leadership journey, we can see that transforming organisations comes down to self-reflection and being clear in what kind of leader you want to be:
- Do you take time to listen before acting?
- How do you understand context before setting direction?
- Can you hold the tension of conflicting priorities?
- How do you centre people and relationships in your strategy?
- How do you make purpose visible and meaningful?
- How do you communicate with staff, volunteers, members and beyond?
It’s unlikely anyone gets all of this right straight away, so adjusting your approach over time and asking different questions is key.
Sometimes that’s informal, and sometimes it’s more structured, through feedback from colleagues, boards or a full 360 process.
But, taken together, over time, these elements allow leadership to shape how organisations change.
James Hunt is a senior executive search recruitment specialist supporting non-profit and membership organisations for over two decades. If you are thinking about the next phase of leadership in your organisation, or how to strengthen it, we would welcome a conversation.
Tom Grinyer is a chief executive with 30 years’ membership-sector experience, known for strategic leadership, organisational transformation, governance, and driving engagement, growth, inclusivity, sustainability and partnerships.
Image courtesy of the Institute of Physics.
