One Habit to Start Right Now That Will Strengthen Your Organizational Culture

Lauren Domaszowec
Dec 29, 2025
3 min read

Nonprofit and mission-driven leaders talk about culture all the time. We talk about values, alignment, morale, and burnout. We talk about retaining great staff, keeping volunteers engaged, and building trust with stakeholders. Yet many organizations struggle with culture because it is treated as something abstract, rather than something built through daily leadership behavior.

The most common problem is not that leaders do not care. It is that connection gets crowded out by urgency. Meetings, deadlines, crises, and funding pressures take over the calendar. Gratitude becomes something we feel but do not consistently express. Over time, people start to wonder if their effort is noticed or if their work truly matters.

Culture erodes quietly when appreciation becomes implicit instead of explicit.

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One Leadership Habit That Instantly Builds Organizational Culture

There is one small habit that can immediately strengthen connection, trust, and morale across your organization. It requires no budget and very little time.

Set aside five minutes a day to personally thank one person with a phone call or a short, thoughtful email. Try it with your Board, volunteers, staff, or even midrange donors.

This is not a mass message. It is not a generic thank-you buried at the end of a meeting. It is a direct expression of gratitude from leadership to an individual, naming something specific they did and why it mattered.

Strong organizational culture does not come from policies or posters on the wall. It comes from people feeling seen, valued, and connected to the mission. Leadership sets the tone for that culture through consistent behavior.

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Why This Habit Works

Personal gratitude builds trust because it signals attention and care. When leaders acknowledge specific contributions, people feel that their work has meaning beyond task completion. That sense of meaning fuels motivation, loyalty, and resilience.

It also creates a ripple effect. When people feel appreciated by leadership, they are more likely to express appreciation to others. Over time, gratitude becomes part of how the organization operates, rather than a special occasion gesture.

Importantly, this habit works because it is small. Five minutes a day is manageable even during the busiest weeks. Consistency matters far more than length or eloquence. Plus, you might find that your own motivation and energy increase after these positive interactions.

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How to Make This a Sustainable Habit

The key is to anchor this practice to a time that already exists in your day. Do not wait for extra time to appear. Choose a moment that is typically underused or low-energy.

Here are a few options that work well for many leaders:

Commute time if you are driving or riding transit and can safely make a call or draft a voice note to send later.
Right after lunch, when it often feels hard to jump back into focused work.
During an afternoon slump, when energy dips and productivity is already low.
At the start or end of the workday as a short ritual to frame your day around people rather than tasks.

Block this time on your calendar. Treat it as non-negotiable leadership work, because that is exactly what it is.

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What to Say in the Call or Email

Keep it simple and genuine. This is not a performance. It is a human moment.

A strong message includes three elements:

A quick hello and context. Let them know you are reaching out just to say thank you.
Specific appreciation. Name exactly what they did. Reference a project, a decision, an interaction, or an extra effort you noticed.
Why it mattered. Connect their action to the mission, the team, or the people you serve.

For example:

“I wanted to thank you for how you handled the community meeting last week. You created space for everyone to be heard, and that directly supports the inclusive culture we are trying to build. I really appreciate it.”

That is it. No long speech required.

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Organizational Culture Is Built in Moments Like This

Nonprofit and cause-focused work is demanding. People stay because they believe in the Mission, but they thrive when they feel valued by leadership. Consistent expressions of gratitude reinforce that belief and strengthen the emotional fabric of your organization.

This habit works because it is personal, repeatable, and leadership-driven. It turns connection into a practice rather than an afterthought.

If you’re looking for one thing you can start today that will make a real difference, start here. Five minutes. One person. One sincere thank-you. Over time, those moments add up to a culture people want to be part of.

Want more actionable tips that will help you build team culture? Reach out to partnerships@phoenixfiresc.com or join our new SPARK community, where you’ll grow alongside leaders just like you.