Culture | Dave Holvig

May 24, 2024May 24, 2024

Why Speaking Up Is The One Skill That Will Separate You As A Leader

PART 2: Reasons TO Speak Up

Welcome back to part 2 of my first-ever quad blog. Why four? Because in my experience, speaking up is the most underused and overlooked skill every leader must learn. Let’s change that.

But first…

I was saddened to hear how many of you feel unsafe being honest in the aftermath of PART 1. That is beyond tragic. So many organizations are leaving so much on the table thanks to a few insecure leaders who would rather feel in charge than face reality. And yet, I still believe it’s a win to say what needs to be said. Let me explain…

Speaking up will either lead to influence OR information.

How it’s received speaks volumes. For example, “Thanks for sharing, we are better for it” or “Please don’t share cuz’ we don’t care” are both helpful. One encourages you to keep going; the other confirms you should get going—update your resume, get coffee with a connection, finally join LinkedIn. (If you do, I’m @dkholvig. Let’s connect!)

Second, I want to acknowledge that speaking up is a layered skill that requires more than just a willingness. However, this blog series is more about noticing the current vacuum around speaking up and the direct connection to leaders who feel stuck.

This blog will outline 3 reasons TO speak up and what can happen when you DO.

We’ve already discussed the reasons we don’t speak up, the complexity of not speaking up, and the paradoxical reality of raising your voice. If you missed that, click here.

Now, I present the 3 biggest reasons TO speak up…

May 10, 2024May 10, 2024

The One Skill That Will Separate You As A Leader

The Cost Of Silence

Nine times out of ten, a lack of leadership plays out in silence, not mistakes. It might be a quiet submission, but the impact is loud.

For some of you, staying quiet IS the reason you feel stuck—wondering why you still don’t have a seat at the table—after years of faithfully showing up.

Truth is, you’ve been a conduit of other people’s instincts, a messenger of decisions, and a “loyal” employee. But you haven’t been leading because you haven’t been sharing YOUR UNIQUE INSIGHT.

Part 1 of this "quad-blog" will begin to make the case that NOT speaking up IS keeping you from maximum impact.

October 6, 2023October 6, 2023

7 Reasons Ministry Leaders Are Burning Out And How To Run The Other Way Part 3

PART 3 “Mission Failure”

Welcome to part 3 of this ministry leader trilogy! If you missed the setup, click PART 1 or PART 2 now. Let’s tackle the final reason we are struggling with burnout and what to do instead.

REMINDER: This blog is geared for leaders in the Church. If that's not you we'll be back soon.

Also, this next one could offend some. But I gotta go there because it’s present everywhere there’s turnover. K-here goes nothing.

September 19, 2023September 19, 2023

7 Reasons Ministry Leaders Are Burning Out And How To Run The Other Way Part 2

PART 2

Welcome back to part two of this ministry-specific trilogy. If you missed part 1, click here and come back. Friendly reminder: These examples are geared towards leaders in the Church. Still, there is a definite corporate parallel if that’s you.

Now for reason #4.

September 12, 2023September 12, 2023

7 Reasons Ministry Leaders Are Burning Out And How to Run The Other Way!

Part 1

Last fall, I was denied entry into a breakout at Salt Conference called “Before You Quit: Avoiding Ministry Burnout” because it was full! But not just every seat kind of full; we’re talking every square inch on the floor was spoken for.

According to the most recent Barna survey, almost 40% of people who work in ministry are planning their exit strategy. That’s tragic! And based on recent conversations with fellow church leaders, it’s 100% true AND the reason I decided to fast-track this “ministry-specific” blog! I couldn’t not.

The Church should be the best place on earth to work. It’s not… yet.

So, what’s the problem, and why are so many leaders in the Church opting out, or worse, burning out? But first, I must disclaim this blog because it’s a definite departure.

Disclaimer: Although these struggles are not unique to the Church, this blog trilogy is custom fit for ministry leaders. I'll be taking dead aim. If that's not you, this might get a little weird… (Back to our regular programming next month.)

K—For the remaining brave souls, let’s go! After twenty years of hypothesizing, here’s what I’ve concluded (so far)…

July 11, 2023July 11, 2023

Leading Different Lightbulbs: How to get the most out of your team based on their capacity.

Capacity Reality

We all have different capacity. What makes one person sweat is a warmup for another. We all have “40 hours,” but what gets done can be lightyears apart. At my best, I have the power to light up the midnight sky. A lightning bolt. At my worst? A candle blowing in the wind, a flickering votive (about to go out).

Balance of Power

Thankfully the goal of a dynamic team is not to all be 100-watt high beams. That’s not only NOT possible but would be totally annoying! Great teams are a mix of role players and stars, desk lamps and fog lights.

Look no further than the 2023 New York Rangers playoff bid for proof. As a die-hard Rangers fan, I watched with excitement as we signed one star after another leading up to the playoffs. And just when I thought we couldn’t add any more star power, we landed Patrick Kane, a bonified superstar. Here we go!

The best teams include brights, lights, dulls, and darks.

The problem? We had stars. We needed a grinder—someone who could create space for the other stars to shine by skating hard, hitting harder, and getting off the ice. That’s not what we got. Turns out Patrick also had a bad hip. But ultimately, the reason we blew it in the 2023 playoffs is clear: Not enough role players, too many stars.

Unlike the Rangers, when we strike the right balance, all the individual lights create one big spotlight of focused light. I call this “dynamic capacity.”

This blog will help you:

1. Embrace your team's capacity—so you can get more done as a team, NOT at the expense of your team.

2. Assess your team’s current capacity—so you know what’s true and possible in this season.

3. Teach your team how to think—so they don’t need YOU to know what to DO!

Let’s get practical. (My specialty.)

December 13, 2022December 16, 2022

How To Beat Quiet Quitting In Your Culture Part 2

The Vision Factor

Leading anything today is daunting. It doesn’t matter how long your track record was or how well it worked—we ALL face the same new challenge:

Engaging people in a way that makes them WANT TO STAY in a world where quitting is now cool.

So why is this so difficult?

Back to usual…

For starters, the world drastically changed overnight—along with all the rules—and none of us remained unscathed.

Is there a leader left on the planet who hasn’t fantasized about stocking shelves in the last three years?

I imagined myself clocking out at a factory (like the one in Tommy Boy, of course), shoving a paper timecard into one of those old-school machines, but instead of dinging, it would say: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Your shift is over. You are free to go bowling or do whatever you see fit with your uninterrupted and ‘fireless’ evening. See ya tomorrow.”

…is coming back to bite us.

Fast forward, and the trauma we endured is beginning to rear its head—sideways. Don’t believe me? Ask your five closest friends or co-workers how they’re doing. Exactly. This is a “global WE,” not just a “you and me” problem.

And yet, there’s no better time to build a culture that pulls people in.

So how do we do that?

Welcome to Part 2 of “How To Beat Quiet Quitting In Your Culture.”

Part 1 “claimed” the world’s most inspiring cultures share two common factors: CHALLENGE AND VISION. If you missed it, I’m afraid you might get lost in a mountain of metaphors, so—you know what to do…

Click to catch up. I’ll time you. GO! (my seven-year-old is sprinting…)

Alright, now that we are ready to climb and understand the importance ‘challenge’ plays in creating great culture, it’s time to unleash factor #2 and make our way to the summit.

This blog will show you how to create a vision for your team, department, or division that propels the overall mission—a vision that will guide your culture “beyond healthy,” past apathy all the way to the summit.

Are you ready?

November 15, 2022November 15, 2022

How To Beat “Quiet Quitting” In Your Culture Part 1

The Challenge Factor

If you are leading anything, you are creating culture. CEOs, church leaders, and little-league coaches have cultures forming around them—and so do you! The question is whether that culture is pulling people in or pushing them away.

Are you struggling with:

turnover?
quiet quitting?
attracting top talent?

If so, staying where you are might be the riskiest decision you can make. The good news is two factors consistently show up in the world’s most inspiring cultures:

CHALLENGE AND VISION.

Both can be learned, added, and applied.

Challenge is a cheat code.

The problem with playing it safe these days is we are smack in the middle of what experts are calling a “Turnover Tsunami.” Pandemic burnout has people leaving in droves, looking for what’s next or a place to rest. No doubt, it’s a leadership dilemma!

But the answer to a wandering eye is not EASY. On the contrary, people want to be a part of something bigger—a climb of a lifetime—stretched beyond their comfort.

We need a mountain to climb and a compass to guide. Then we can go “beyond healthy” and take our culture to the next level.

The path to the "culture summit" is NOT easy, but it is available to all who are willing. This blog will show you how to use challenge to your advantage, defeat apathy, and give you four simple ways to start climbing.

“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

But before we start climbing… You can’t effectively lead what is fundamentally broken. Getting healthy comes first. If you need help with that, click here and GET UNTOXIC.

Now, onward and upward!

September 11, 2022

Get Untoxic Part 2: How To Move Towards Healthy One Splinter At A Time

I was a splinter.

My splinter past haunts me. But oddly, it has served me well as a leader. It’s the reason I don’t mess around with sharp objects. I understand (firsthand) how dangerous splinters are to culture. If you don’t, make sure to read Part 1.

Again, splinters are the people in your ranks who are disruptive on purpose.

A splinter is toxic.

They are opposed to your direction or YOU. Simply put, these wooden spears are not on board and aren’t going anywhere voluntarily. And they are ruining the culture you are trying to build.

**Great cultures still get splinters.**

So, if you want to lead a dynamic culture, you can’t skip the splinter step. The question is not if; it’s HOW you will respond.

Unfortunately, we look the other way and hope it goes away. It doesn’t. Splinters that stay too long get infected and spread through negativity.

Many of you are experiencing that currently.

This blog will outline 3 ways to remove splinters and build immunity for the future as you lead your culture from toxic to "UNTOXIC."

July 29, 2022July 29, 2022

GET UNTOXIC! Soak Your Splinters Out And Change Your Culture Now

Your culture is at risk.

It’s amazing what happens when you get a splinter. It’s barely noticeable to the human eye, and yet it becomes the only thing that matters in your life the moment it enters your body.

Everything is on hold until you get that little wooden sword out.

Some people in your ranks are splinters. They are disruptive on purpose and intend to cause division in your culture. Their behavior is toxic. Unthinkable, I know.

Too many leaders wait it out and hope it works itself out. Don’t wait!

Looking the other way is how a culture turns toxic.

This two-part blog will either help you reverse the tide of toxicity or help you build immunity.

After all, you’ve come this far, don’t let a couple “bozos” ruin it for everybody.