Lucas Leibforth

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” – Peter Drucker

That quote has been around forever, and I used to think it was just a clever leadership line. But now I know it’s true.

I’ve been part of so many ministry meetings over the years….whiteboards, vision casting, big ideas and even bigger plans. Strategy gets a lot of attention, especially in churches. And it matters. We need to plan well. We need systems and direction (Literally, talk to me about this, I am passionate on vision and systems…)

But there’s something that quietly shapes everything more than any plan ever could: culture.

You can have the best strategy in the world. A flawless event. A tight service plan. A five-year vision with a killer slide deck. But if your team culture is unhealthy, the whole thing will start to crumble from the inside out.

Strategy gets people moving. Culture determines whether they stay.

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A story that stuck with me

I read about a church that pulled off a huge community outreach. They had the branding, the social push, the signups, the team. Everything looked solid on paper. But after the event, the debrief felt heavy. Not because of how it went publicly, but because of how it went internally.

Volunteers were frustrated. Staff felt spread thin. There were overlapping roles, miscommunications, and a general feeling of “we pulled it off, but barely.” No one questioned the value of the event. But everyone felt the weight of how it exposed their team culture.

It wasn’t the plan that broke. It was what was underneath the plan. And I’ve seen versions of that play out in a lot of churches. Maybe you have too.

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Where culture really comes from

That story reminded me of something my friend and mentor (If he reads this, he won’t admit he is a mentor to me) John C. Hughes said in a leadership cohort. He told our group something like, “Culture always stems from leadership. And if the leader doesn’t model it, it doesn’t last.” Then he shared something that I still think about all the time:

“I try to be the lead encourager, the lead protector, and the lead servant in every room I lead.”

At the time, I wrote it down. Now I live by it. Because the longer I’ve been in ministry, the more I see it play out. When the leader is rushed, defensive, or critical, that tone trickles down. When the leader is grounded, clear, and steady, the team breathes easier. They bring more of themselves. They stay.

Carey Nieuwhof says it like this: “Your culture will never exceed the character of your leadership.”

Craig Groeschel puts it even simpler: “When the leader gets better, everyone gets better.”

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What it looks like to lead culture well

John’s framework: encourager, protector, servant, it’s simple, but it hits every time.

Here’s what that looks like in real life.

Be the lead encourager
People need more encouragement than you think. Not the vague “good job” stuff, but the specific, genuine kind. Teams grow where celebration is normal. When people know their work matters, they bring more to the table. Encouragement creates oxygen for your team. It makes it safe to fail and worth it to keep going. Leaders who call out the good, even when things aren’t perfect, build a culture people want to be part of.

Call out the good. Not once a year. Regularly. Specifically. Out loud.

Be the lead protector
Culture doesn’t guard itself. Leaders have to name what’s working and deal with what’s not. That means stepping in when gossip creeps up or when people start making assumptions. It means fighting for clarity and unity, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Guard the culture like it’s sacred…because it is.

Be the lead servant
This one is huge. If the only time you show up is to lead or speak or delegate, people notice. But when you’re the one moving chairs, restocking snacks, cleaning up after the meeting, it sets the tone. Servant leadership isn’t soft. It’s the strongest kind.

You lose credibility when you only show up to be in charge.

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Why culture matters more than ever

When culture is healthy:

• Teams self-correct.
• People bring energy to the room.
• Trust is high.
• Volunteers stick around.
• Disagreements happen without drama.

When culture is unhealthy:

• Great ideas fizzle.
• Talented people leave.
• The mission drags.
• Criticism replaces celebration.
• Everything feels harder than it should.

And here’s the kicker:
You can’t fake culture.
People feel it. They notice what gets celebrated. They absorb what’s tolerated. And eventually, they decide whether it’s worth sticking around.

Which makes me think….

When a church or ministry doesn’t have a strong culture, a clear strategy, or a compelling vision, things might still be happening, but nobody really knows why. It becomes more about keeping things afloat than moving anything forward. People start getting tired, teams lose direction, and eventually, the mission gets blurry. You can have all the right intentions, but without something pulling everyone in the same direction, the work just doesn’t stick. It feels scattered, not spirit-led.

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Four questions to ask yourself or your team

Final thought

You can have the best Sunday service in town. You can run the most well-planned event. But if your team is limping behind the scenes, eventually it’ll show. Culture isn’t just the vibes. (But they matter) It’s the environment where people either grow or shrink. (Matters way more)

So yes you need to and should build the plan.

Sharpen the strategy. Get creative.

But don’t forget what really shapes your team.

Be the lead encourager. Be the lead protector. Be the lead servant.
Because when your leadership reflects the heart of Jesus, your culture will too.

And next time, we’re going to talk about what happens when people don’t just belong on a team, but actually start to become something through it. Because Jesus didn’t invite people to just feel included..He invited them to be transformed.

That’s the kind of culture worth building.