The definition of culture is the distance between who you say you are and how you act. 

Ken Brissa became Chief Executive Officer at Phoenix Rescue Mission in February of 2020, just days before the country went into full crisis mode in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

In the months since Ken began his leadership journey at Phoenix Rescue Mission, much has changed at the mission, throughout Phoenix, and across our nation. But the principles of leadership that helped shape Ken’s career before COVID have remained consistent.

We sat down recently to talk about Ken’s leadership journey and experience in the nonprofit sector. In our conversation we covered critical topics like: 

Why you should empower your team to build culture from the bottom up in your organization instead of pushing culture change from the top down.

The importance of making communication (quantity AND quality) a key component of your leadership strategy.

Why collaboration is a critical value for leaders, and how collaboration is more than just “working together”. 

The value of “what if” scenario planning, and how it can help your organization respond more quickly and effectively to crisis situations.

Why directly addressing conflict in your organization is essential to a grace-based culture. 

The importance of identifying and cultivating a creative outlet, and how that can impact your emotional health.