How to Light a Fire

I learned young that a campfire needs more than a spark — it takes hands gathering wood, someone blocking the wind, and a shared “let’s make this happen.” A flame catches fastest when the effort is collective.

The same is true professionally: you can’t fuel a winning strategy without inclusion. This shares what I learned about the importance of culture to successful strategies.

Morale isn’t about making people feel good. It’s about helping them see the importance of their work.

Top Takeaways

After years of watching teams succeed, stall, or unravel, here’s what I’ve learned:

• Strategy stalls without cultural readiness.

• Inclusion builds enthusiasm, and enthusiasm fuels success.

• And people rise to expectations they helped shape.

These truths came from experience, including one team that taught me how to start a fire.

Find What's Preventing the Flame

To address cultural challenges, including team trauma, you first have to recognize it and name it.

Years ago, I joined a large corporate team responsible for a mission that mattered deeply to the company. The work was important, the stakes were high, and the talent was exceptional. But the culture was struggling after years of inconsistent leadership and the lingering effects of past management challenges and missteps. Negativity had taken hold. Accountability was uneven. A few high performers carried the load while others focused on pet projects or resisted leadership.

The employee survey confirmed what we felt: low trust, unclear expectations, and a belief that individual contributions didn’t matter. The team wasn’t failing because people lacked skill or passion (quite the opposite, the team was incredibly talent-rich). They were failing because the culture made it impossible for strategy to take root.

In short, they were trying to spark a strategic fire with water. We found what was preventing the flame.

What cultural challenge slows your team from succeeding?

• Low trust or unresolved cultural baggage
• Lack of clarity around strategy, roles, or expectations
• Limited inclusion in decision-making
• Not enough bandwidth, or lack of work prioritization

Using the Right Fuel

We couldn’t achieve our goals until we fixed the environment around the work. People needed clarity, a voice, and genuine buy‑in. So, we started with inclusion, the right fuel for sparking a strategic fire.

We built an end‑to‑end strategy with the team, not for the team. A cross‑level Strategy Champs group acted as a small representative body, bringing peer perspectives into the process and carrying insights back out. That bi-directional flow changed everything. When people saw their ideas reflected in the strategy, they felt ownership. And when they felt ownership, they showed up differently, holding themselves and each other accountable in positive, constructive ways.

Inclusion wasn’t a gesture, rather, it made the strategy real for the people doing the daily work.

The Campfire Truth

As inclusively built, strategy became clearer and people understood how their work contributed to the organization’s mission. Morale had shifted. Dramatically. Negativity lost its grip. People who once resisted accountability leaned into it because they finally understood why their work mattered. Progress became visible. And when progress becomes visible, momentum follows.

I learned an invaluable campfire truth: morale isn’t about making people feel good. It’s about helping them see the impact of their work.

We didn’t stop at strategy. A cultural working group reviewed survey results and identified the top opportunities for improvement: clearer roles, better feedback channels, more transparency, and practical ways to grow. The team chose the solutions. Volunteers stepped up to lead them. Participation created pride. Pride created progress. And progress created belief.

Why This Matters for You

Every mission‑driven organization has ambitious goals, but goals alone don’t create impact. Culture does. When people feel included, trusted, and connected to the mission, strategy becomes something they live, not something they’re handed. When that happens, teams move faster, morale rises, and daily efforts transform from “work” into flaming enthusiasm.

If you need help with cultural challenges, I’d be honored to complete an assessment of your team, with specific recommendations and collaborative sessions to find the right solutions to spark your team’s fire. Reach out anytime using our contact page.