Leadership Stories - Rachel Maitland, CEO of MND Scotland
Leadership Stories
Intern Reflection: As a medical student, writing this case study has been invaluable for understanding the contribution that the third sector makes to public health and wellbeing. Moreover, having had the chance to interview such a dynamic third sector CEO has informed my own professional practice.
I was in awe of Rachel’s pragmatic combination of realism and a can-do attitude. This was embodied through her cyclical approach to leadership: collecting community feedback, strategizing, sense-checking with experts, implementing, and obtaining further feedback. Rachel has an explicit understanding of the importance of holding space for others to contribute, and the invaluable learning resource that we as humans present to each other.
Healthcare can be uncertain owing to nuances between individual patients, so it was reassuring to discuss the importance of intuition and how, the more you listen to your ‘gut’, the more honed your intuition becomes.
Who is Rachel Maitland? Who are MND Scotland?
Rachel Maitland is CEO of MND Scotland. Following 25 years in the energy industry, she moved to the third sector hoping to create meaningful change, first becoming Chair Trustee at Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre and later CEO at MND Scotland.
Motor Neuron Disease (MND) is a rapidly progressing terminal illness which can strip a person’s ability to walk, talk, eat, and breathe. There is currently no cure nor effective treatment. Average life expectancy post diagnosis is 18 months, with half of people dying within the first year.
MND Scotland is uniquely privileged to provide financial, practical, and emotional support for anyone living with the condition, and their family and friends.
Rachel starting at MND Scotland in the organisation’s 40th year marked the start of a bold new chapter for the charity, a chance to better harness the experience of everyone affected by MND to help guide the charity to become a more robust, resilient, and engaging organisation. We’ve always responded to what people affected by MND might need to tell us what they want – from the development of our advocacy service, welfare and benefits advice, equipment, and grants, to the campaigns we lobby for and the research we fund. The new strategy enables us to continue to support this approach but take it even further by proactively involving people affected by MND in what we do and co-designing future services with them.
Involving and integrating the perspectives of people affected by MND in our work is a cyclical process of listening and learning. This includes a range of options, from researching and finding out what matters to people via surveys, interviews, and focus groups, to evaluating feedback and developing services. A key component is making sure we offer people choices to get involved in ways which suit, and are accessible, to them and their needs
A unifying theme that has arisen from MND Scotland's ongoing community research is the importance of time, given that the nature of MND means the time they have is limited and precious. Therefore ‘making time count’ is a concept that is being embedded throughout the organisation and, such is the commitment to it, it is the cornerstone of the new strategy. Grants and services are being reviewed to ensure people can focus on building precious memories. For example, the charity’s two accessible holiday chalets are now free of charge to people affected by MND and a new Wellbeing Grant, which enables people to undertake activities that help them feel good in the now- from massages to manicures- has proven popular.
Further new services and a full education programme are coming in the new year and several will be co-designed with people affected by the disease. Rachel’s vision for MND Scotland is to ensure that everyone across the country knows the charity and what is does so that if they or a loved one needs support, they can get what they need, when they need it. The full team at MND Scotland is committed to making time count for everyone they support.
Adapting to change and strengthening organisational resilience
Rachel’s strategic attention to involving people is equally as relevant internally, when listening to what her team needs as they develop and grow as an organisation. Every day is a school day, and Rachel bows to the greater wisdom that comes from people living and breathing any experience.
Against the backdrop of a turbulent international climate, and without knowing what is around the corner, Rachel recommends having a strategy, but being flexible enough to continually tweak it... “a sense of humor helps too”.
What are your top tips for other CEOs, when a new challenge arises?
“When your First 100-Days plan goes awry, keep breathing and be true to yourself. Self-awareness is a superpower. Remember, if something fundamentally does not feel right, there is probably a reason for it. You can sense-check your instincts with people that are more expert than you”.
If you could give yourself some advice as a budding CEO in the third sector, what would you say?
“If you are making the leap from corporate to the third sector, it’s not a straightforward transition, but keep going. Believe in yourself. Be proactive, have a plan of how you’re going to get there and stick to it. Once you are in the role, give yourself a break. You are one person. You cannot be the expert in everything, so surround yourself with experts”.