Supporting leadership in a changing sector
- Paul Baker
- Jul 6
- 5 min read
What Kind of Leaders Will Museums Need Tomorrow?
Museums and heritage organisations are operating in an increasingly complex environment. Financial pressures, workforce challenges, changing audience expectations and evolving governance responsibilities place greater demands on leaders at every level. At the same time, organisations are balancing ambitious plans with limited resources, making investment in people more important than ever.
Developing confident, thoughtful leaders helps organisations become more resilient, make better decisions and respond positively to change. It strengthens teams, supports effective governance and benefits audiences, volunteers, partners and communities.
I work with organisations to design and deliver leadership programmes tailored to the needs of their members, regional networks or organisations. Every programme is developed collaboratively to reflect local priorities, organisational challenges and participants' experience.
Why does practical experience matter?
After more than twenty-five years working in leadership, organisational change and professional development, I was invited to become Course Director for the GEM Emerging Leaders Programme, succeeding Dr Nick Winterbotham, who created the original programme. Since then, I have refreshed and expanded the content to reflect the opportunities and challenges facing museums today.
What makes this programme stand out is that it is rooted in the museum sector, informed by practical experience and focused on individual development. Rather than focusing solely on leadership theory, my programmes are grounded in museum practice. Participants explore real organisational challenges, reflect on their own leadership style and learn from one another in a supportive environment where ideas can be tested and applied with confidence.
Paul brought his knowledge, experience and expertise to creating a tremendously valuable course. Paul was a generous and considered leader, creating an environment in which all participants felt welcome to contribute, question and analyse the course content. The course was structured and paced in a manner that offered time for discussion and reflection, as well as some very creative teaching, whilst maximising use of time available. The concepts being taught were thought provoking and valuable, and Paul's use of industry examples added additional layers of insight. Paul quickly created group cohesion, whilst ensuring that every course participant had the opportunity to contribute in their chosen way.
During the course Paul offered mentoring, which he kindly extended beyond the end of the course. Paul's mentoring/coaching style was holistic, considering all challenges and opportunities, both personal and professional. Paul's insightful, reflective, and informative approach to these mentoring session was tremendously valuable. He generously shared his professional knowledge and offered personalised career advice and support. This was tremendously valuable.
I feel very lucky to have been taught by Paul on the course and to have had access to his generous, informative and valuable mentoring through the scheme. I would recommend Paul as both a course Director and a mentor.
Katy Iliffe de la Riviere, Atchivist & Development Officer, Sedbergh School, GEM Emerging Leaders Course participant.
How could a leadership programme support our networks?
Every group has different priorities, so programmes are designed to be flexible. They can be commissioned as a complete leadership programme or built around specific themes to complement existing professional development.
Modules include:
What leaders do and how they lead effectively
Leadership styles
Leading organisational change
Emotional intelligence
Strategic leadership
Overcoming self-doubt and building confidence
Workplace wellbeing
Challenging conversations
Active listening
Resilience
Individual and organisational purpose
Mentoring and coaching
Governance
Planning and visioning
Time management
Finance and dashboards
Influencing and persuasion
Sessions combine practical learning, discussion and reflection, enabling participants to apply new ideas directly within their organisations.
What learning approach works best?
I favour a blend of group learning and individual mentoring.
Group sessions encourage participants to share experiences, learn from colleagues across the sector and build supportive professional networks, particularly valuable for those working in smaller or more isolated museums.
A short questionnaire can be used before the programme begins to identify participants' roles, aspirations and organisational challenges, ensuring the content remains relevant throughout.
Learning is supported through case studies, discussion, practical exercises and examples from museum practice, with a strong emphasis on building confidence as well as knowledge.
How do leadership challenges differ across organisations?
Leadership looks different in every organisation.
Museums with operational boards often rely on volunteers or small teams, where leadership depends on influence, collaboration and relationships. Others operate within larger governance structures where delegation, prioritisation and organisational management become more significant.
Rather than applying a standard model, I encourage participants to explore leadership within the realities of their own organisations.
What outcomes should you expect?
Investing in leadership skills can transform the individuals and the organisations and audiences they work with. You should expect to see participants display increased confidence, stronger decision-making skills, and resilience. In addition, the programme also focuses on interaction, engagement, and persuasion and this can result in improved team effectiveness, strategic thinking and negotiation.
“The Emerging Leadership course came at a difficult time for me professionally, while undergoing redundancy. The skills and frameworks I acquired were not only invaluable in navigating the situation but have continued to reap dividends as I utilise them in my new leadership role.
Particular highlights include the in person day, which was held at Young Y&A for my course, allowing us all to connect in person. I also cannot recommend enough Paul’s teaching style which focused on reframing one’s mindset and professional self-empowerment. His offer of an additional individual mentorship meeting was extremely generous and personally helpful.”
Francesca Vine, Museum Manager, Ware Museum, GEM Emerging Leaders Course participant
How has this approach worked in practice?
The current GEM Emerging Leaders Programme combines an in-person event with a series of online workshops, enabling participants to build relationships while balancing learning with professional commitments.
Commissioned programmes can include:
Full-day workshops
Online half-day sessions
Stand-alone masterclasses
Individual mentoring
Guest speakers and Q&A sessions
Most programmes include between four and eight sessions, with supporting reading and reflective activities between each session.
How does mentoring deepen learning?
Individual mentoring helps participants explore leadership within the context of their own organisations.
These conversations provide space to discuss organisational challenges, leadership practice and professional aspirations in confidence, helping participants translate learning into practical action.
My mentoring approach is informed by my training in counselling. It is collaborative, supportive and grounded in experience, encouraging participants to build confidence in their judgement and decision making.
How might we work together?
Every organisation has different objectives, budgets and timescales, so I develop each proposal collaboratively rather than offering a standard package.
I welcome the opportunity to hear about your ambitions, discuss ideas, and explore the role that personal development investment can play in meeting the needs of your organisation.
Paul Baker
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