Why do geese fly in a V formation?

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It’s not uncommon to see a huge flock of geese flying in formation towards one unified destination. There have been a lot of studies on why birds might fly that way, and they have shown that there are two main reasons: it makes flight easier, and they are simply following the leader.

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As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in their ‘V', the whole flock adds at least 71% more flying range than if each bird were flying on its own. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

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Maybe that is what you are desperately seeking for yourself or for your teams: an instinctual and unified pursuit toward bigger and better things. How do we get there?

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We need to intentionally and consistently communicate, demonstrate, and celebrate the culture we want to see. We need to create Culture Carriers. 

Why do we need to get better at carrying culture? Because it is going to help us get to the vision our leader has set out for us more efficiently, effectively, and expeditiously.

Culture is simply the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular group of people. A carrier is a person that holds or conveys something. To carry something means to support and move (someone or something) from one place to another. 

So, a culture carrier is someone who embodies the heart of the house and moves the church closer to the vision of the leader.

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Now, imagine having a team of 10 culture carriers. 100. 1000. 

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How do you become a culture carrier or create more culture carriers? To recreate something effectively, you have to:

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Learn it, Live it, and Loan it.

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‍Every culture has a language. If you don’t know the specific language of your culture, learn it. After you learn it, you need to do everything you can to embody the specific parts of the culture you want to see and live it. Don’t skip this step. People want to follow and replicate something that is genuine and authentic. Finally, now you can celebrate and correct the culture you want to see and loan it to others. 

Here is my challenge to all of us: Maybe you’ve been carrying something that hasn’t moved you forward in a while. A mindset, an attitude, a preference. Let’s commit to pick up the culture of our house, instead, and carry it in such a way as to get the prize.