The Protagonist
By: Andrew Chamberlain
Language: en-gb
Categories: Business, Non-profit
A podcast for people who lead, govern, and shape membership organisations, and occasionally feel like they are doing all three at once! Released daily, each episode reframes the dynamics of contemporary membership. Governance myths get challenged. Strategy gets unpacked. Leadership dilemmas are examined without theatre or jargon. This is not commentary from the sidelines but practical, experience-led insights for chairs, CEOs, iNEDs, trustees, and senior executives navigating complexity, accountability, and change. Fewer assumptions. Clearer thinking. Better questions. Solid answers.
Episodes
Is it time to rethink membership renewals? 12-month cycles may be holding us back
Jan 09, 2026For membership organisations, the 12-month cycle has been a familiar tool, but it’s not the only one. The real opportunity lies in designing systems that match the permanence of the relationships we hope to create, i.e., systems where continuity is the norm, and opting out is the exception.
Duration: 00:07:16Stop Letting AI Tell You How to Work
Jan 08, 2026The danger of all the “how-to” noise is that it subtly shifts the power dynamic. Instead of being a tool that serves us, AI starts to feel like a system we have to keep up with and we end up chasing features, integrations, and workflows that may have nothing to do with the problems we’re actually trying to solve.
Duration: 00:05:41When Innovation Undermines Service: the hidden risks for associations
Jan 07, 2026The turbulent twenties continue unabated. In today’s constantly shifting environment, the pressure on associations to innovate is relentless. From launching new digital platforms and AI tools to reinventing events and services, the expectation is clear: evolve or risk becoming irrelevant. Boards and executives alike are told that transformation is synonymous with progress, and that those who fail to “disrupt” will be left behind.
Yet amidst this drive for progress, a crucial truth is being overlooked: constant innovation is increasingly at odds with the fundamental role of associations to serve their members well.
The Myth of Transparency
Jan 06, 2026Associations pride themselves on being member-led and democratic and "transparency" is an omnipresent watchword; but over time, transparency has come to mean something closer to exposure, i.e., the belief that nothing should be withheld. But this simply isn’t true. Confidentiality is not the opposite of transparency. It is the necessary condition for effective governance.
Duration: 00:12:57In 2026 associations need brave rather than busy boards
Jan 05, 2026The membership sector must be honest with itself. Governance is not glamorous, and it rarely produces applause. It demands time, learning, and the occasional uncomfortable mirror. Yet it is one of the most powerful determinants of whether an association truly fulfils its mission or slowly erodes under the weight of good intentions unsupported by good systems.
Duration: 00:09:19