Creating Culture

“Neither culture nor leadership… can really be understood by itself.  In fact, one could argue that the only thing of real importance that leaders do is create and manage culture and the unique talent of leaders is their ability to understand and work with culture.”   --Edgar Schein

Every now and then something from a business model or, in this case a book on business leadership, shines a brilliant light on other aspects of our lives.  My thoughts immediately flew to a family dynamic, in particular a home schooling environment, although one could take that out of the equation and still have it stand.

I’ve been intrigued by the power of creating a family identity, a family culture.  When each person feels respected and enjoyed, feels a strong belonging to a group that is woven together with a million inside jokes, daily laughter, adventure memories, trip stories, days walking in humility and gentleness amidst the battlegrounds of each other’s sins and shortcomings, ministering together to others, helping each other and sometimes hindering,  weathering pinnacles of accomplishments and depths of failures, efforts to be encouraging and profferings of forgiveness and repentance both, a tangible thatch to stand on is woven underneath the feet.  And those feet don’t stray into the byways of an enticing world culture promising alliances of another sort.  They’re too focused on the dance they’re in.

So if we identify that a family can have its unique culture, the obvious leadership is from the parents.  Do we have on our mother-resume, “Create and manage culture”?  I’ve wondered about thinking carefully on what it means to create and manage a culture in the home.  Authenticity in pursuing a life in Christ, remaining in awe of His character revealed through nature, history, people, and the doctrines are a start.  Working hard, playing hard, adds depth and flavor.  Loving each other fervently doesn’t hinder, but it is messy and it is hard sometimes, and those little ones have to be taught to lose the whine and the “Mine!” and self besides, just when they think it couldn’t get any worse.  And do they have examples in the leadership-- those leaders who are creating and managing their culture?

In this rich context, the most basic of all societal fellowship, stories can be discussed and Story comes alive.  The doctrines are adorned with shades and nuances of reality; and that’s when our doctrines really begin to dance.

Having a dog who doesn't mind being buried in the sand, and a cat who doesn't mind being put in the drawers for company while studying, we find are necessary culture-builders.