Think about what makes up the culture in any organization. Things like:

• The character & personality of the leader
• The physical environment
• The types of hires usually made
• How empowered and confident people are allowed to be
• The communication style of the top leaders
• How things get done
• The industry you’re in
• How your business is doing
• Whether you’re merging with another organization
• Geographic location
• Size of the organization
• Age of the organization

These are just a few factors that contribute to culture. You could list another dozen I’m sure.

If you want to change culture, just remember … it’s extremely difficult. It is the logical result of numerous factors working together, many of which are out of your control. Who’s in what position could be the most controllable – and impactful – change you can effect.

Culture isn’t a thing, it’s a result.

Why do they say #culture trumps #vision? Why do #mission & vision have to be separate? The longer I lead, the more I wonder.

Excerpted from Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership, by Tom Harper (DeepWater Books, 2019). For more information about the book, visit https://deepwaterbooks.com/.