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.

Every December, A Christmas Carol reappears in theaters, classrooms, and living rooms around the world. It is often framed as a holiday tradition or a moral fable about personal redemption. Its origins tell a much more strategic story, one that offers powerful lessons for today’s nonprofits.

I made a mistake… for nine years, and it ended up really hurting our business. I didn’t ask for testimonials, ratings, or reviews. At all.  For many years, 100% of our business was referral or repeat business and we were very busy, so I just didn’t prioritize it. We were doing the work, getting results, and I thought that would always be enough.