You have probably heard the quote “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” often (inaccurately) attributed to management consultant Peter Drucker, and made famous in 2006 by Mark Fields, the President of Ford America.

The culture of an organization is critical and we, as leaders of missional enterprises, have an even greater responsibility to shape the culture of our enterprises to honor God and be effective.1 A business leader participating in one of our M3 Cohorts recently shared his conviction that culture is critical to finding and building leaders: “If I build the culture, the leaders will come.”

An excellent article on corporate culture is “The Leader’s Guide to Corporate Culture,” published in the Harvard Business Review in 2018. This detailed article (about 20 minutes to read) explains the characteristics of corporate culture and describes eight different styles for the culture of an organization based on two factors: people interactions and response to change.

The article also gives helpful examples of how companies cultivated, maintained, and even modified their corporate culture.

Another excellent article about corporate culture specifically related to Business as Mission is “6 Ways BAM Practitioners Build Their Company Culture,” by Jo Plummer (about six minutes to read). Taken from interviews with 12 experienced BAM practitioners in countries around the world, the article is full of guidance that is both principled and practical.

Verse(s) of the Week:

Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, Proverbs 27:23 (ESV)

Let’s pray for God’s insight and strength to “give attention” and “know well” the condition of the workplace he has entrusted to us.