5 Symptoms of an Unhealthy Culture

This episode is perfect for someone in or leading culture! 

1. Vision Division

Jesus observed that a house divided against itself cannot stand (Matt. 12:25). Unhealthy cultures have division over the vision. When people disagree on the desired destination they are unable to see a shared future. The lack of a common vision and shared future can give birth to every other symptom on this list. 

 

2. Relational Isolation

The lack of relational depth and connection contributes to people thinking ME instead of WE. When individuals care more about themselves than the mission, their culture feels prickly. Such cultures choose to regulate rather than relate.

 

3. Communication Chaos

Secrecy, gossip, poorly addressed or unaddressed conflict, and debate about what’s factually true are great examples of communication chaos. There are also well-known elephants and sacred cows around every corner that aren’t discussed or acknowledged. Communication symptoms take many forms, but each one leaves individuals feeling unsafe and vulnerable. At its worst communication chaos leads to a lack of trust and cycles of conflict.

 

4. Act, Don’t Ask

Instead of a culture that invites cooperation and co-creation, unhealthy cultures draw bold lines between the leaders and the led. Leadership isn’t interested in robust dialogue, discussion, or co-creation. Instead their focus is to get people to act and submit to the plan. Some contexts call for such leadership (a battlefield, natural disasters, etc.) Normally though, such cultures suffocate and inhibit personal development. Often such cultures see individual development as a threat to output. Potential is secondary to production

5. Affinity Based Authority

marked by leadership being transitioned from one to the next based on personal affinity rather than performance. In such cultures, character and fruitfulness are secondary to current leadership’s similarity and relational connection to future leadership. When authority is affinity-based rather than earned, it leads to inauthentic styles of relating.

 

Takeaway: Culture is what most people do most of the time. Unhealthy culture will infect the movement you are trying to lead. 

Action Step: Do a cultural check-up to examine these aspects of culture and look for symptoms that indicate bigger problems.

  

 

Show Notes:

https://www.justingravitt.com/blog/5symptoms-unhealthyculture

 

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