Lead for Good: A Conversation with Adrienne Nakashima - Episode 37

Strong organizational cultures are built with intention. At South Coast Botanic Garden, CEO Adrienne Nakashima and her team have been investing deeply in what it means to create an organizationally healthy culture, drawing on Patrick Lencioni’s The Advantage as a framework for the journey. In this episode of Lead for Good, Chris Looney talks with Adrienne about what that work looks like in practice, from strengthening trust and encouraging productive conversations to creating greater clarity around purpose, priorities, and how the team works together. Adrienne shares candidly about what she and her team are learning along the way, including the Garden’s own term for conversations that sometimes happen after the meeting instead of in the room: “palm circle conversations.” Their goal is not to eliminate disagreement. It is to create the trust and organizational health that allow people to have important conversations together. In this conversation, Adrienne explores: • Why organizational health deserves the same attention as strategy • How trust and vulnerability strengthen leadership teams • The value of productive conflict and honest conversation • How the Garden is creating greater clarity around purpose, values, and priorities • The six questions they are using to strengthen organizational alignment • How culture becomes embedded in meetings, hiring, accountability, and everyday decisions • The challenge of investing in organizational health while also leading growth • What Adrienne has learned about her own role as CEO throughout the process One of the most valuable aspects of this conversation is that Adrienne is sharing the journey while the work is still underway. This is not a retrospective about a culture transformation that has already been completed. It is a candid look at what it takes to intentionally build a healthier organization while continuing to lead it every day. Culture is shaped through countless conversations, decisions, behaviors, and interactions. Adrienne and her team are demonstrating the value of being intentional about shaping it together. Listen to this episode of Lead for Good with Adrienne Nakashima, CEO of South Coast Botanic Garden and Foundation.