The Artistic Soul of an Organization

Being purpose-driven is no stand-in for an organization’s soul.

The Artistic Soul of an Organization
Photo by Lucas Benjamin / Unsplash

I am learning there are impact organizations that have lost the artistic, human heart that beats at the center of everything they do. Being purpose-driven is no stand-in for an organization’s soul. You can probably think of organizations that have impressive results but that are missing some je ne sais quoi.

The last two years have presented an assault on the artistic heart beating inside our organizations and institutions. We’re remote, we’re burnt out, we’re faced with short-term stressors and long-term existential threats. Which is why leaders can’t neglect nurturing their organization’s soul. I think this is why I love poetry so much: underneath all the strategies and tactics, we must dare to believe there is poetry to our work, and as we wrap up another year at Uncharted, I am reminded of the ways our team continues to apprentice ourselves in the art of nurturing our organization’s soul.