1. Courageous Community
We foster an environment of psychological safety where employees feel encouraged to speak up proactively, challenge existing practices, and share unconventional ideas without fear of reprisal.
We avoid empty positivity, embracing realism by acknowledging difficulties, challenges, limits, and complexity.
Our leaders celebrate courageous communication and encourage those who speak up and address uncomfortable truths.
We are not cynical in our communication patterns.
We believe that our teammates speak with the best of intentions.
We create an environment of mutual trust, respect, and openness.
We intentionally cultivate diversity of thought, actively seeking different viewpoints.
We address conflict openly and constructively.
The environment is supportive and encouraging, helping team members reach their fullest potential.
The culture is (on the whole) enthusiastic, positive, and genuinely enjoyable.
We actively encourage employees to ask questions - even very basic or very challenging ones.
Our culture celebrates excellence, understanding that recognizing anything less can unintentionally discourage high performers.
Employees feel free to set healthy boundaries, resisting the pressure of relentless self-optimization.
We create opportunities for meaningful idleness and unstructured time, recognizing their value for deep contemplation, creativity, and resilience.
There is a structured yet flexible rhythm of daily routines.
2. Exceptional Experiences
We obsess over the details, ensuring every interaction is intentionally designed.
Interacting with us feels intuitive and delightful.
We invest significant effort to deeply understand our stakeholders’ desires, behaviors, and motivations.
We intentionally create memorable experiences that emotionally resonate with our stakeholders.
We deliver outstanding personalized service to stakeholders.
We cultivate a culture of hospitality, kindness, and genuine care throughout the organization.
We proactively anticipate stakeholder needs and preferences, often before they are expressed.
We recognize and celebrate employees who go above and beyond to create exceptional experiences.
We have defined, consistent, and high standards for stakeholder interaction.
Leaders regularly model customer service by engaging directly with stakeholders.
We emphasize small tasks done well rather than grand gestures.
We prioritize lasting relationships with stakeholders over transactional interactions.
We demonstrate generosity and thoughtfulness, even when it goes beyond conventional norms.
We gather personal insights about stakeholders to create personal and thoughtful experiences that leave lasting impressions.
Leaders communicate the value of going beyond expectations, reinforcing it as central to the mission.
We place the needs, interests, values, and priorities of our donors at the center of our fundraising strategies.
We demonstrate thoughtful stewardship processes and gratitude to our stakeholders.
Funders are considered valued partners, not merely sources of funding.
We deeply understand our beneficiaries’ needs through direct observation and empathy-driven research.
3. Continuous Improvement
We systematically seek and evaluate feedback—from team members, donors, and stakeholders—to refine our offerings and improve our processes.
We ensure team members have the context, competence, and feedback needed to make independent decisions and grow in their roles
We iterate and refine solutions, relentlessly pursuing perfection.
We embrace a culture of learning by conducting open post-project reflections.
Leaders view calculated risk-taking and failure as growth opportunities.
4. Operational Excellence
We maintain a clear, scalable, and streamlined process to transform ideas into action and deliver high-quality and predictable service.
Employees demonstrate preparation, discipline, commitment, and meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of their work.
We systematically identify and remove critical constraints proactively, eliminating bottlenecks and friction to maximize impact.
We minimize unnecessary meetings and encourage asynchronous communication.
We consistently deliver exceptional quality, never settling for “good enough”.
We are disciplined in managing our financial resources.
We have clear standards that are communicated regularly, deeply understood, and consistently practiced by every employee.
5. Radical Clarity
We communicate clearly and succinctly, ensuring stakeholders immediately understand our value and impact.
We openly share lessons from successes and failures.
We document and regularly revisit processes to ensure consistency and continuous improvement.
Leadership communicates intent rather than detailed instructions, allowing employees to align their actions effectively.
We identify and address obstacles to open communication.
Leaders clearly communicate expectations and standards.
Team members clearly understand their roles, contributions, and how these line up with the organization’s larger goals.
When someone asks a question, the answer is documented so everyone can see it.
We openly share our knowledge and resources with others, even if it doesn't directly benefit our organization.
Employees collaborate across teams, freely sharing information and learning withotu protective behaviors.
We have clear, disciplined, and transparent budgeting practices.
6. Creativity and Boldness
Leaders encourage creative risk-taking and openly accept that some initiatives will fail.
Employees are encouraged to pursue conventional solutions and challenge traditional practices.
7. Integrity
We emphasize character development and integrity above immediate outcomes or results.
We maintain transparency and honesty with our donors and board.
We train our team on ethical standards.
We uphold confidentiality, privacy, and data integrity.
We only hire people with the utmost integrity.
8. Focus and Simplicity
We prioritize simplicity and clarity in everything we do, eliminating unnecessary complexity.
We actively remove distractions and unnecessary features from our services.
We maintain disciplined focus, consistently prioritizing activity that solves critical constraints directly aligned with long-term objectives.
We prioritize calm, focused work over constant urgency and hustle.
We actively resist complexity, systematically questioning assumptions about organizational practices.
We eliminate tasks and routines that add unnecessary complexity.
We emphasize simplicity in processes, systems, and communication.
We limit distractions, helping team members maintain deep focus on high-value tasks.
We have extreme clarity about our organization's purpose—if it’s not a clear 'hell yes,' it's a 'no’.
We say 'no' to good opportunities to fully commit to our best ones.
Leadership regularly asks, “What is our business, and what should it be?”
We maintain absolute clarity around what constitutes meaningful and measurable results, explicity differentiating activity and impact.
We have clearly defined criteria for evaluating new opportunities.
We prioritize clear, simple structures over complex bureaucracy.
We value wisdom and discernment, not just knowledge accumulation.
9. Resilience
We proactively embrace change, quickly adapting to changing circumstances.
We actively anticipate challenges rather than react to them.
We demonstrate sustained passion and perseverance toward achieving long-term goals.
Team members show resilience, remaining committed despite setbacks and obstacles.
We regularly assess strategies based on changing realities (internal and external)
10. Individual Responsibility
We clearly define expectations and hold individuals responsible for meeting them.
We regularly clarify roles and responsibilities.
Everyone understands exactly what’s expected of them.
Employees feel empowered and encouraged to challenge existing approaches.
Team members at all levels can make decisions autonomously.
Leaders constantly delegate authority, not just tasks.
Team members routinely use the phrase “I intend to…” when proposing actions, rather than seeking explicit permission.
Leaders deliberately avoid micromanagement, trusting employees and their autonomy.
We prioritize accountability and ownership rather than compliance and approval.
Decisions are made as close to the information/impact as possible.
Employees feel empowered to make decisions that delight and exceed stakeholder expectations.
Employees have the autonomy and trust to swiftly resolve problems and deliver personalized care.
Employees feel trusted to use their best judgment.
Managers are only responsible for team output.
Employees openly accept responsibility for their decisions and actions.
We actively discourage dependency, expecting individuals to take initiative and ownership of their work.
Those closest to the problem can act independently without centralized approval.
Teammembers differentiate between what is within their control and what isn't, responding effectively only to what they influence.
11. Developing Employee Wisdom
We have clear succession plans.
We actively develop leadership capability at every level (not just senior management)
We train employees on storytelling as a critical skill.
We invest in training employees around exceptional service standards.
Employees have the tools, space, and uninterrupted time necessary to do their jobs well.
We consistently practice fundamental skills and routines, prioritizing excellence through repetition and mastery.
Continuous personal improvement is actively encouraged and rewarded.
We measure success by internal improvement rather than solely by external recognition.
We invest in developing strong character in all employees.
We proactively cultivate resilience in team members.
We maintain a culture of curiosity, regularly asking questions and exploring new perspectives.
We train for emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills.
12. Decision Velocity
We prioritize rapid, decisive decision-making over deliberation.
We demonstrate a bias for action, quickly translating ideas into outcomes.
Our organization rewards proactive initiative rather than compliance with rigid bureaucracy.
We embrace early and rapid prototyping of ideas, quickly iterating and refining our approaches.
Leadership is decisive.
We prioritize quick testing, iteration, and improving ideas.
We value action and experimentation over extensive planning.
We avoid sacrificing organizational effectiveness for the sake of consensus or collective comfort.
13. Clear Purpose
Employees clearly understand the organization’s strategic direction and how their roles directly contribute to its achievement.
We clearly articulate our mission and values and ensure that all of our operational choices reflect them.
We operate with absolute clarity and uncompromising commitment to our defined purpose.
Employees feel connected to the organization’s larger purpose.
We carefully define and reinforce clear values, ensuring these guide daily behaviors and decisions.
We operate in a clearly defined niche.
Our goals are ambitious and transformational.
Leaders communicate bold, inspiring visions.
We seek out and solve the most difficult challenges facing our mission.
14. Humble Leadership
Our leaders model humility and curiosity, openly admitting when they lack information or understanding.
Leadership models respectfulness and accountability.
Leaders visibly model calm, decisive leadership rather than impulsive or reactive management practices.
Leaders model openness and vulnerability, encouraging transparency.
Authority within our organization is exercised as service, not as a means of personal power or dominance.
Leaders model servant leadership.
15. Shared Reality
We prioritize strong team cohesison, emphasizing trust, respect, and loyalty among all members.
Everyone’s voice is heard and valued.
16. Clear Storytelling
We communicate a clear, compelling, and simple message that immediately clarifies our mission to supporters.
We position our stakeholders, not our organization, as the hero in all our communication.
We clearly articulate the primary problem our stakeholders (beneficiaries, supporters) face.
We demonstrate empathy and authority, reassuring stakeholders that we understand and can solve their problems.
Our marketing provides clear calls to action.
We clearly communicate the tangible transformation our organization creates.
We regularly share success stories.
We do not rely on jargon or vague, academic, or theoretical language.
Within 3-5 seconds, our website indicates what we do, how we help, and how to get involved.
Our messaging is consistent and unified across all channels.
Employees can easily explain our mission, impact, and offerings in simple language.
We position ourselves as a trusted guide.
We effectively communicate the stakes and urgency of our work.
17. Long-Term, Scalable Strategy
We embrace thoughtful, focused innovation rather than reactive problem-solving.
We maintain a balanced perspective, emphasizing steady improvement rather than focusing on temporary setbacks or victories.
Leadership emphasizes persistence and effort over talent and short-term success when evaluating performance.
We distinguish between urgent tasks and important priorities.
We question the need for constant growth, prioritizing depth of impact over superficial expansion.
18. Data-Driven Outcomes
We systematically measure satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy as key indicators of success.
We measure our success by the real-world impact we create rather than appearances or intentions.
We measure our direct impact and communicate it well to donors.
We measure and evaluate our performance against clearly defined objectives.
We consistently evaluate whether existing programs should be maintained, adapted, or discontinued based on measurable effectiveness.
We regularly benchmark our performace against our peers.
We prioritize evidence over intuition.
19. Context Reflects Values
Leadership works “on” the organization rather than only working “in” it.
Our physical environment and interactions consistently reflect our organizational values.
Our hiring process selects for alignment with organizational character.
Employees at all levels embody our organization’s values in every interaction.
We attract talent aligned with our ambitious objectives and values.