In an environment of an ever-changing workforce, the one thing that can and must remain constant in successful organizations is a winning culture.
When it comes to building and maintaining a winning culture in your business, organization or church, we can look back some 2,460 years ago to a person whom I call a “culture champion.” That person is Nehemiah.
Nehemiah was the Jewish cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I, who was in power in Persia around 439 B.C. He had never lived in Jerusalem but held a special reverence for the famed city of his ancestors. One day, he received the disheartening news that the city gates had been burned and the wall around the city had been torn down. This was such a burden to Nehemiah that he asked King Artaxerxes for permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall.
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he surveyed the task, gave a report to the city fathers, and then organized a workforce. However, not everyone wanted to see the wall built. Nehemiah and his team of workers faced fierce opposition from their enemies.
Many teams would have folded under the opposition they faced, but Nehemiah created such a winning culture among his people that no amount of trouble could stop them. They not only rebuilt the wall but did so in 52 days—a stunning fact when you consider that the wall was almost two miles long, included as many as ten gates and eight towers, and they had no power tools or gas-powered machinery.
People today look at the accomplishment and scratch their heads. It is one of the greatest feats the world has ever known.
Throughout the book of Nehemiah, we see timeless principles Nehemiah demonstrated that produced such a winning, unstoppable culture. They are principles that still work today. Any business, organization or church that does what Nehemiah and his team did will produce great results like they did.
Success in any organization isn’t about the systems as much as it is about the culture, yet most leaders obsess over the systems and largely ignore the culture. Nehemiah was a different kind of leader.
The following five essentials can be learned from his example of building and maintaining a winning culture while rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem:
- Culture starts at the top. The leaders at the top of any organization are responsible for the culture they desire.
- Build trust. Do what you say you will do (walk the talk).
- Focus on people, not processes. When people are treated with dignity and respect and feel valued, they will perform at levels that will surprise you.
- Speak as one. Every leader at every level must speak with one voice. Communication is key.
- Protect the culture at all costs. In a winning culture, everyone acts and behaves in a way that supports the culture and helps to make it stronger.
Organizational culture is something that is lived and experienced by everyone. It’s like your faith in Jesus as your savior—you can’t see it, but you can’t help but experience it and share it with everyone.
The culture that has been established in your organization will have a bigger impact on success than anything else.
