Humble and Fascinating!
This book had perfect timing for an assignment on which I am currently working to complete. I am working with the most fascinating organization. It is a youth serving organization that provides paid internships with Fortune 500 companies to high school seniors in under-resourced schools. Along with the internships, students receive training and mentorship. It really is one of those missions that it is impossible to find any fault with. It provides pathways for educational and career success to emerging young professionals creating an avenue for economic mobility. My firm was engaged to develop a strategic plan (the last one was before COVID-19), assist with Donor prospecting, and perform a Compensation Study. I threw in my executive search skills and helped identify, interview, and hire a Senior Development Director. It truly has been an amazing 9-month assignment. Perhaps the most fascinating part is the leadership. This organization is 22 years old, and its Board of Directors looks like “Who’s Who in Fortune 500 Companies”. The Executive Director has been in her role for one year and she is absolutely brilliant, humble, posed, captivating, engaging, approachable, and a seasoned leader. Her predecessor was the exact opposite, and the organization’s culture reflects it.
I have watched, mostly from the side lines, this leader work to shift the organization’s culture. It has been the same for at least 15 years, when the dynamic Founder stepped away (was forced out) from his role. The staff is having an extremely challenging time trusting the process. The authors share, “We can define the structure of culture as the accumulation of conventions-the established ways of thinking and acting- the have gotten us to where we are today”[1] There is definitely a great deal of resistance to change as they have only done things one way. They are incredibly uncomfortable with the slightest shift. For example, the Executive Director keeps her door open. It is only closed when she is having a private meeting. This was so confusing for the staff as the previous Executive Director always kept her door closed and was not an inclusive decision maker. It is very clear in this organization that “transforming a group’s social culture is a slow process. “[2]
It is interesting that the staff is open to shift and drastic changes in program delivery. Their commitment to the success of the emerging young professionals inspires them to be nimble and innovative. They want to create pathways for success that remove as many barriers as possible, and this drives them to think outside the box and employ creative program delivery. Schein and Schein share, “When it comes to technical culture, an organization can choose to adapt to fit the current demands of the market, the actions of its competitors, and the broader macro culture trends (e.g., moves toward sustainability, or diversity, equity, and inclusion).[3] This staff has the ability and the desire to shift the technical culture to achieve success for the emerging young professionals, yet the day-to-day operations is more difficult for them. The authors state, “By contrast, a company’s social culture norms may be stickier. People do not easily and quickly adapt how they relate to each other in new ways.”[4]
It is an honor to watch this Leader navigate this new space with grace and tenacity. She is undeterred by their slow pace of change and their resistance to a culture shift. She is fully aware that it takes time, consistency, and strategy. I am witnessing Humble Leadership through her partnership with her staff and stakeholders. If this is true, “we can define the practice of culture as the way we face every new day, including our intentions for building, sustaining and/or changing what we do and how we think about what we do”[5] , then I am witnessing the practice of culture in real time, and it is fascinating and inspiring to see.
If I were to draw a parallel to The Anxious Generation, I would say that many of the staff members of this organization are products of phone-based play. I would even venture to say that it is why they can so easily shift programming to meet the evolving needs of the stakeholders. It is also why, I believe, they have the most difficulty shifting the organizational culture. They require proof, a good reason to do something. They are not onboard to disrupt a system unless it proves beneficial for them.
[1] Edgar H. Schein and Peter A. Schein, Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust (Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2023), 90.
[2] Ibid., 93.
[3] Ibid., 93.
[4] Ibid., 93.
[5] Ibid., 90-1.
About the Author
Jonita Fair-Payton
9 responses to “Humble and Fascinating!”
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Hi Jonita,
Your experience working with this organization sounds incredible, fulfilling, and energizing. What a gift to able to observe situational humility in action. Are there any parallels or take-a-ways that inform your project? Also, what is your best definition of humility? I’m collecting definitions:)
Jenny,
I believe that humble leadership is a thoughtful process of integrating practice, culture, and values into an organization for a shared outcome.
Jonita, I’m glad you wrote about how this new executive director is changing the culture of the workplace. I am thinking about how I might shift some of the culture at my new church – it’s never an easy task to do, and I appreciate that you point out that there is resistance to change. As a leader, my hope is that I will build trust among the congregation, making small changes along the way, so that later we can make bigger changes together.
Kally,
You are right on target with your thinking. Making small changes and listening to your team will make the larger changes more effective. It takes time. I love the phrase, “we go slow to go fast!”
Hi Jonita,
Thank you for your insightful post. It is interesting to see that your company focuses on helping young people find paid internships. From a diaconal theology perspective, what your company does is transformative diaconal. You write, “If I were to draw a parallel to The Anxious Generation, I would say that many of the staff members of this organization are products of phone-based play. I would even venture to say that it is why they can so easily shift programming to meet the evolving needs of the stakeholders.” What is your company’s or your specific strategy for engaging young people so that they are willing to collaborate with older people and bring out their best potential? How helpful is this book Humble Leadership, in your opinion?
Dinka,
The organization that I wrote about is a client of my firm. I think that they build a bridge between generations to assist young professionals with the smoothest pathway into the corporate space.
Hi Jonita,
You wrote, “It is an honor to watch this Leader navigate this new space with grace and tenacity. She is undeterred by their slow pace of change and their resistance to a culture shift. She is fully aware that it takes time, consistency, and strategy. I am witnessing Humble Leadership through her partnership with her staff and stakeholders. If this is true, “we can define the practice of culture as the way we face every new day, including our intentions for building, sustaining and/or changing what we do and how we think about what we do”[5] , then I am witnessing the practice of culture in real time, and it is fascinating and inspiring to see.
More collaborative leadership!
However.
Level Minus 1: Total impersonal domination and coercion IS STILL WORKING….
China – Xi Jinping
Russia – Vladimir Putin
North Korea – Kim Jong Un
Iran – Ali Hosseini Khamenei
USA – Former President Donald Trump
These Level minus 1 leaders may take us into WWIII, or not, but Level Minus 1 leaders, the autocrats, are a force that we will have to contend with on the global stage.
The global collaborative agency, the United Nations, has become ineffective. Time for a new one?
My point.
In the U.S., the societal shift does warrant a double take at humble team leadership in order to be more effective. Go collaboration!
But it is a first world freedom ONLY.
Big Sigh.
Shalom
Russell,
I am curious about your opinion of the United Nations and the current state and direction of it. What would it look like to reorganize it? Thoughts?
Like many things, a good idea with poor execution.
Security Council is a bust when members are the major source of war and war potential (Russia, China)
Guterres attending the BRICS summit
A United Nations investigation has found that nine employees from its main agency for Palestinian humanitarian relief, UNWRA, “may have” been involved in the October 7 attack and no longer work at the agency.
The list goes on.
I wish my crystal ball could give you the steps to internal reforms. However, I do believe that the change will to occur otherwise like the League of Nations, it will become irrelevant.