“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
That is an often quoted word from a leadership consultant. But here’s the problem. It would seem that we hear the leadership “quip” and even quote it. Wouldn’t it be more effective to utilize this insight in our leadership?
Working with spiritual leaders we discover that we can so easily be swept into the hottest wave, or the need to solve a crisis. So our leadership can be given to chasing success, or focused on our problems and NOT OUR FUTURE!
If the church or the organization you lead has a culture challenge, it is likely that NO STRATEGY will work until the culture issue is resolved (not “spoken to”, but resolved deeply among the people of the church or organization).
If a church has major trust issues, it is likely that any strategy will be heard from a “You just want power!” or “You don’t care about us!” perspective. And silly the leader who thinks they can just “speak to the issue.” “Yes I do care about you and I really am not just looking for power” will not likely even be heard. The culture will fight and destroy the strategy!
Here’s a more specific illustration. If a church is in decline, and the “culture” of the church has been backbiting, hurt, leadership abuse, or any other challenge, to simply say “You need to be outward-focused” is ridiculous. How can we look outward when our back is at risk!!! How can we attack the strategy of adopting a school, for example, when we think the leader is simply out for themselves? And even if someone did come to the church, what would they experience? Gossip, backbiting, mistrust?
If culture eats strategy for breakfast is real, (and it is indeed real) then that leadership insight should give guidance to the leader. What is the culture of the church or organization you lead? What can you do to resolve that negative destructive culture and begin to leaven another? Maybe, instead of pushing people to be outward focused, we should first create a culture where the Spirit of God reigns, where majesty is experienced and where we are seen, so we can then begin to see others?
Culture eats strategy for breakfast! So then, what are you focused on in your leadership?