Culture You Can Feel: Lessons from a Week That Moved Us Forward
The PIVOT team rocking out at the 2026 School Leader Summer Institute.
Every organization talks about culture. Few get to feel it. This week, our PIVOT team did — in the best possible way.
We spent five days together for our annual retreat, and what unfolded was more than professional development. It was a living example of what happens when every person owns culture. We worked hard, laughed harder, and ended the week with something that perfectly captured who we are: a name for our team mascot, Persephone — “Percy” — the mountain puma who embodies curiosity, courage, and growth.
It was joyful, meaningful, and deeply human. And it reminded me that culture isn’t a set of words on a wall — it’s the way people show up for each other.
Lesson 1: Culture Is Everyone’s Job
Culture doesn’t belong to one department or one leader. It belongs to everyone. Throughout our week, every person shaped the experience — from leading sessions to planning games to creating space for reflection. That shared ownership made the week feel effortless. When culture is collective, it becomes self sustaining.
At PIVOT, we don’t wait for someone else to set the tone. We are the tone.
Lesson 2: Joy Builds Trust
Fun isn’t a break from the work; it’s part of the work. The laughter that filled the room while naming Percy wasn’t just lighthearted — it was connective. Joy lowers defenses, strengthens relationships, and reminds us that creativity thrives in belonging.
When people feel safe enough to laugh together, they’re also safe enough to take risks together.
Lesson 3: Symbols Matter
Percy isn’t just a mascot. She’s a mirror of our values.
She reminds us that growth doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens when we explore new paths and encourage each other to keep going. Every team needs its Percy: a shared symbol that captures who they are becoming and why it matters.
Lesson 4: Culture Lives in the Small Moments
The most powerful parts of the retreat weren’t the hallway conversations or shared meals — they were the small moments inside the work itself. The way someone jumped in to build on a teammate’s idea. The laughter that bubbled up in the middle of a serious planning session. The quiet nods of encouragement when someone named a challenge they were carrying.
Those moments weren’t on the agenda, but they shaped the week. They’re the moments where people feel seen, where trust deepens, and where belonging becomes real.
Culture isn’t built only in celebrations or social time. It’s built in the micro interactions that happen while you’re doing the work — the way a team listens, collaborates, disagrees, resets, and moves forward together.
Culture isn’t created by grand gestures; it’s created by the daily ones. And this week, our team showed what it looks like to bring those moments to life.
Lesson 5: Gratitude Sustains Growth
As we packed up at the end of the week, I felt overwhelming gratitude — for the people who make this work possible, for the laughter that keeps us grounded, and for the shared belief that leadership is about moving forward together.
Culture isn’t something you design once and hope it sticks. It’s something you nurture every day — through curiosity, courage, and connection.
At PIVOT, we don’t just move forward. We make impact. And we do it together — the Percy way.