LeadForward Vol.1 No. 3

Culture . I have seen serious research that asked whether leaders are born or made. After reviewing everything available, the answer was simple: both. Some people do have natural strengths that draw others to them. I am grateful for those gifts. At the same time, leadership is a learnable skill. In my view, a leader with modest natural talent who is willing to learn can outperform a “natural” leader who refuses to grow. “Excellence in culture is not an accident; it is a strategy and a skill that any committed leader can learn.” Nonprofit leaders face a special challenge. Their organizations exist to make a social impact, to serve people, to serve God, or to protect the planet. The mission is noble. The problem is that a noble mission can hide a toxic culture. When staff and volunteers feel bad about how work is going, they sometimes comfort themselves by focusing only on the good they are trying to do. “Yes, we are exhausted and frustrated, but look at the lives we are touching.” Over time, people start to feel good about something that is structurally unhealthy, and they do not realize how stuck they are. So what is the first step for a leader who wants something better? I believe the step is to snap out of fake reality. Stop telling yourself a story about how wonderful the culture is and start looking at the data. Measure the culture that exists and compare it to the culture that is desired. Numbers can be abused, but they do not lie about people. When I step on the scale, I may not like what I see, but I cannot argue with it. The same principle holds in “culture” work. The truth that is known is the truth that can set a leader free. When leaders are willing to confront reality, they open the door to real transformation. Culture stops being an abstract buzzword and becomes a concrete strategy for excellence that can be designed, practiced, and improved every day.

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