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. \u00a0My 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 \u201cWho\u2019s Who in Fortune 500 Companies\u201d. 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\u2019s culture reflects it.<\/p>\n
I have watched, mostly from the side lines, this leader work to shift the organization\u2019s 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, \u201cWe 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\u201d[1]<\/a> 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 \u201ctransforming a group\u2019s social culture is a slow process. \u201c[2]<\/a><\/p>\n 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, \u201cWhen 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]<\/a> 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, \u201cBy contrast, a company\u2019s social culture norms may be stickier. People do not easily and quickly adapt how they relate to each other in new ways.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n 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\u201d[5]<\/a> , then I am witnessing the practice of culture in real time, and it is fascinating and inspiring to see.<\/p>\n If I were to draw a parallel to The Anxious Generation,<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Edgar H. Schein and Peter A. Schein, Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust<\/em> (Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2023), 90.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Ibid., 93.<\/p>\n