By Richard Sterling, Partner at AltoPartners Australia.

This article was first posted on LinkedIn. To read the original post, click here.

Last week, I joined a panel hosted by the Australian Institute of For Purpose Leaders to tackle a question I’m hearing with increasing urgency:

“What are the top three qualities Boards are seeking in For-Purpose leaders to future-proof organisational growth and sustainability?”

The discussion confirmed what I’m seeing across my For-Purpose executive search practice: Boards are raising the bar. Safe, status-quo leadership is over.

With volatile funding, relentless scrutiny, digital disruption and rising complexity reshaping the operating environment, Boards want leaders who can deliver impact and navigate uncertainty with confidence.

Drawing on my work with Boards and insights from global peers, here are the three qualities shaping the next generation of For Purpose leaders.

1. Commercial Acumen Meets Purpose

Boards want leaders who balance mission with money and who treat revenue and impact as inseparable.

Traditional funding models are no longer enough. Leaders need diversified revenue streams, innovative business models and the smart use of digital to accelerate growth and impact.

Boards are not hiring caretakers. They are hiring builders, leaders who create value not just protect it while staying anchored to the mission.

2. Moving Beyond Impact

Results matter and so does how you communicate them.

Funders expect measurable outcomes. Donors connect with human stories. Communities seek proof that lives are improving. Volunteers want to feel inspired.

It isn’t just the data OR just the narrative, it’s both. Numbers validate. Stories motivate.

Boards are looking for leaders who can craft powerful stories that help shape policy, mobilise networks and secure long-term funding.

3. The Trust Dividend

Trust underpins everything: funding, partnerships, culture and reputation. Without it, nothing holds.

Boards are prioritising leaders who earn trust through transparent, values-driven leadership. Those who lead with clarity, consistency and genuine conviction attract top talent, make better decisions and strengthen governance.

Trust compounds like capital. It is a force multiplier that accelerates growth, amplifies influence and drives sustainable impact.

The New Baseline

For Boards, the baseline has shifted. They now seek leaders with commercial acumen, storytelling grounded in impact and the credibility to earn trust.

These qualities determine who drives organisations forward and who gets left behind.