How can we create a high-performance culture that benefits not just the organization, but also the individuals in it? In this episode, I sit down with Brett Myles, leadership coach and founder of LeadWell, and we dive deep into how to create a culture that will support all parts of the organization.

By the end of this episode, you'll have new tools to help you navigate conflict, help leaders and teams better lead themselves, and create a culture where people feel known, seen, and valued, there's joy in the work, and a mission and vision everyone can get behind.

▶️ Key Points:

02:46 How Brett's journey led him to start his leadership coaching business

11:01 Who LeadWell has been serving

12:01 Culture and the changing approach to high performance

17:55 Three key ingredients of a high-performance culture

22:01 The critical role of leaders and what makes a good one

26:15 How to set yourself up for success when it comes to navigating conflict

32:49 What leadership is all about and the need to approach it as a system

Not Every Problem Is a Training Problem

When performance slips or expectations aren’t met, the first instinct in many nonprofits is to call for training. After all, training feels like a tangible solution: schedule a workshop, build a course, check the box.

But as my guest Brett shared on episode 149 of the Learning for Good podcast, training alone doesn’t solve every challenge.

In fact, many times what looks like a “training problem” is actually rooted in something else entirely:

Systems that don’t support staff (inefficient processes, unclear workflows)
A lack of role clarity (people unsure of what’s expected of them)
Poor communication or leadership gaps
Missing accountability structures

When these barriers exist, training alone won’t move the needle.

Needs Analysis: Getting to the Root of the Performance Problem

Instead of jumping into training as the solution, we can start with a thorough needs analysis process.

Start by asking questions that go deeper than skills alone:

What’s really getting in the way of performance?
Is this a matter of knowledge or skill, or is it an environmental or structural barrier?
Who needs to be involved in designing the solution?

When we slow down to diagnose the root cause, we not only save time and resources, we also build credibility. Stakeholders learn that training isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about driving real change.

The needs analysis process is such a foundational part of creating training that I created a workshop all about how to uncover the motivations, routines, and rewards needed to change behavior.

You can grab the on-demand workshop + resources here.

3 Components of High-Performance Cultures

One barrier to performance that Brett sees is when the organizational culture is weakened. He recommends building a high-performance culture where skills can grow and people can thrive.

Brett shares several ingredients of a high-performance culture, including:

Clarity – People need to know what’s expected of them, what success looks like, and how their role connects to the bigger picture.
Capability – Staff must have the skills, knowledge, and tools to actually deliver on those expectations.
Accountability – Orgs need clear structures and follow-through that ensure people do what they’ve committed to and get support when they fall short.

To use these ingredients, leaders must develop self-awareness, set the standard and model it, give consistent feedback and support, and own their mistakes to create psychological safety.

Takeaways for Learning & Development Pros

As L&D pros, we have a role to play in building high-performance cultures. One, we can commit to doing the thorough needs analysis process for any training request we receive. Two, when culture is the barrier, we can work with leadership to explore options for strengthening the culture. Three, we can build leadership development and people manager programs to build the missing skills. Four, we can establish coaching or mentoring programs to provide support and accountability to leaders in the organization.

We have many options, but to work with leadership at this level, we also need a great partnership with our stakeholders and respect from the executive team.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated being asked to “just create another training” when you know it won’t solve the problem, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I created the Nonprofit L&D Collective. It’s a space for L&D pros to sharpen their skills, swap strategies, and learn how to diagnose problems before building solutions.

Because your work isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about creating change.

Inside the Collective, we offer two tiers of membership to meet your needs - 1) the free Standard Membership, which includes networking and an online discussion forum for just-in-time answers to your burning questions and 2) the paid Catalyst tier, which includes everything at the Standard Membership tier + workshops, group coaching, guest speakers, a template library, and more.

Apply for the Nonprofit L&D Collective and start creating change today.

To learn more about building high-performance cultures, tune into episode 149 of the Learning for Good podcast.

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