Organizational Culture Starts at the Top: Lessons From a Lifetime in Nonprofit Leadership

By Russell Degnan, CEO, Operation New Hope

I've been fortunate to be born into the nonprofit space — into an industry where service isn't a job but a calling. From an early age, I found myself surrounded by leaders in reentry, social work, counseling, and youth development. I watched teams not only trained, but shaped. I watched people not just taught, but transformed.

My father, who founded this work long before I ever carried the torch, opened every Day 1 training session with a simple truth:

"The fish rots from the head down."

It was his way of reminding us that leadership isn't about authority — it's about accountability.

It's about culture.

And culture always flows from the top.

We often talk about "team culture" as if it's a group project. But the reality is far more pointed:

Leadership is the thermostat.

Whatever temperature leaders set — intentionally or not — will permeate the entire organization.

• When accountability is avoided at the top, it becomes optional everywhere.
• When favoritism is practiced at leadership levels, it becomes assumed across teams.
• When empathy is absent among decision-makers, it disappears from daily interactions.

Culture is not what an organization says it values.

Culture is what leaders do, allow, and model — consistently.

If you want to shift the environment, you start with your own reflection.

Compassion, integrity, and respect are not memos. They are behaviors. They must be lived from the highest levels so they can flow to every corner of the organization.

At Operation New Hope, we take this seriously.

Every six months, I lead our team through intentional leadership and team development sessions. These gatherings aren't optional, nor are they ceremonial. They are a foundational reminder that:

Every person on the ONH team is a leader.

Whether we lead youth, collaborate with partners, or support each other internally, our students and co-change makers are always watching. They listen to our words — but they learn from our actions.

That is why "walking the talk" is not just a value at ONH — it is a responsibility we carry for those we serve.

A healthy organizational culture is the byproduct of intentional leadership. It requires constant calibration, ongoing humility, and unwavering accountability. It's not perfect, and it's not easy. But it is always worth the work.

Because the youth, families, and communities who depend on us deserve not only our services — they deserve our best selves.