Minding the Culture in Your Organization
Why setting the tone among your staff and most active volunteers should be a priority
I remember a conversation I had with a staff member of a church several years ago about some other staff members who were causing serious problems. This was a somewhat unhealthy culture led by a pretty undisciplined leader. The staff member was complaining that certain overzealous colleagues were taking the spirit of what the pastor often said too far. Of course, he never intended this to happen.
I’ve thought about this conversation often in the many contexts where I’ve had the chance to serve. It has cemented in my mind a leadership axiom: Leaders are responsible for the cultures they create. Though it applies to Christian teaching, I believe this is the main lesson of James 3, where Jesus’ brother begins with a sober warning about the weight of spiritual leadership and then talks extensively about the power of words. By their very offices, leaders set the tone, whether they acknowledge it or not, for those they lead.
In my experience, I’ve seen three kinds of workplace cultures.
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