Does Your Organization Have a Soul?

Most businesses don’t have a soul.
 
They are cold and heartless. And, that’s probably (at least in part) why most businesses don’t succeed.
But the ones that thrive and endure are usually the ones that have a soul. And the souls of these businesses are usually a result of their founder’s passion.
For instance, Apple had a soul when Steve Jobs ran the show. It was the soul of a rebel who wanted the common person to have access to computing power right from their desktop at a time when only large businesses could afford such a luxury.  I remember when people slept outside of the Apple Store to get the first iPhone. That wasn’t because the iPhone was so great. It was because people like to be part of something that has a soul.
In my hometown of Bethesda, Maryland, Vince and Dominic’s had a soul too.  Theirs was a local family-owned pizzeria. But recently they were forced to close when their lease was not renewed. That set off an uproar of comments on Facebook. One loyal patron wrote, “I would camp outside of V and D’s for a year for just one more slice.” I seriously doubt that he would say the same thing about the closing of a Pizza Hut or Dominos.
And, why do you think he felt so passionate about a slice of pizza?  Because that pizza restaurant had a soul!
 
Sadly I think too many nonprofits are missing their souls.
So what about your organization? Does it have a soul? Would people lobby for its survival and lament its closing?
 
 
 

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