When Disruption Strikes, Identity Guides the Organization Forward
By Rick Aman onInnovation is not about saying yes to everything. It’s about saying no to all but the most crucial things. — Steve Jobs
Over the past several weeks, I have been writing about how governing boards can lead differently in an era of disruption. The framework is simple but powerful: Vision -- Questions -- Tools -- Identity.
In Week 1, I described why boards must shift from oversight to vision. Oversight will always matter, but boards that stop there are steering through the rearview mirror. Strategic vision is what allows an institution to anticipate change, stay relevant, and align with purpose.
In Week 2, I focused on the power of questions. The best boards do not succeed because they have all the answers. They succeed because they know how to frame the right questions, questions that surface blind spots, challenge assumptions, and invite new thinking.
In Week 3, I introduced futuring tools that elevate board conversations. Frameworks like PESTEL and SWOT, Community listening, and vision-focused retreats boards and CEO a structured way to move from opinion to insight, from guesswork to strategy.
But tools alone are not enough. Questions alone are not enough. Even vision is not enough. Every board needs an anchor. And that anchor is Identity. I have learned through both my presidency and my consulting work that when organizations drift, the cause is often not a lack of energy, intelligence, or resources. The cause is fuzziness around identity. Before a board can shape a future, it must be clear about who the institution is and what it exists to do.
When Activity Outpaces Purpose
In times of disruption, boards and CEOs often find themselves approving new programs, expanding services, and adding initiatives, moves that appear to demonstrate innovation and responsiveness. Yet when growth is driven more by urgency than by vision, activity can overshadow identity. Core principles risk being diluted, and the organization’s sense of purpose begins to blur. True progress requires more than motion; it requires clarity about who we are and why we exist.
This challenge is not limited to higher education. Nonprofits, cultural institutions, and community organizations all face the same temptation. Under pressure, it is easy to confuse activity with progress. Boards launch initiatives to chase revenue, presidents expand programs to show responsiveness, teams multiply projects to prove relevance. On the surface, it looks like forward motion. But beneath the surface, the core mission grows cloudy.
When activity outpaces purpose, strategy drifts. The organization works harder but feels less successful. Resources scatter. Leaders make decisions in reaction to the moment instead of in alignment with long-term direction. And eventually, trust erodes among students, employees, donors, and the community.
In these moments, the most important work a board and CEO can do is pause and return to the central question: Who are we? Without clarity of identity, vision cannot hold. But with identity as the anchor, the organization can navigate disruption with focus, alignment, and trust.
The Power of Identity Questions
Boards that want to reclaim focus must begin with a different kind of inquiry. Not “What should we do next?” but “Who are we at our core?” I often guide boards through a series of identity questions that help anchor strategy and prevent mission drift.
1. What is ours to do and not do? Every organization faces the temptation to say yes to every opportunity. But clarity often comes from drawing boundaries as much as from setting direction. A board that can name what falls outside of its mission sends a powerful signal to leadership and staff about focus and discipline. This prevents mission creep and allows resources to be invested where they have the greatest impact.
2. Who do we serve, and why? Beyond demographics, this is about transformation. Are we here primarily for traditional students, adult learners, regional employers, or the broader community, and what change do we exist to deliver for them? When a board revisits this question, it ensures that strategy aligns with real human needs, not just institutional habits. The “why” creates a path from mission statement to program design to student or client outcomes.
3. What promise do we make? An institution’s identity comes alive in the promises it makes and keeps. A promise might be access, affordability, workforce readiness, or transformational education, but it must be specific and lived out consistently. When boards help articulate this promise, it becomes a standard for accountability and a compass for decision-making. Every new initiative should be tested against the question: Does this fulfill our promise?
4. What strengths truly set us apart? It is easy for organizations to imitate others, but identity depends on distinctiveness. A board that takes time to identify core strengths, whether it is a signature program, a regional partnership, or a cultural commitment, gains a strategic advantage. By naming what is truly unique, boards free their institutions from chasing competitors and instead double down on their own differentiating value. This question often unlocks pride and renewed energy across the organization.
5. What must end to create space for what is next? Identity requires pruning as well as planting. Boards that ask what programs, traditions, or habits no longer align with mission are better positioned to create room for future growth. These conversations are rarely easy, but they are essential for institutional health. Letting go of what no longer fits mission is often the most courageous act of leadership, and it allows the preferred future to take shape.
One framework I find particularly valuable is Ikigai, adapted for organizations. Originally a Japanese concept meaning “reason for being,” Ikigai invites leaders to reflect at the intersection of four questions: What do we love? What are we good at? What does our region need from us? What generates sustainable revenue? When boards map their work against these four circles, clarity often emerges. They can see where their identity is strongest and where they may be drifting. I have used this process with colleges, museums, and nonprofits. I have watched the conversation shift from scattered ideas to a crisp sense of organizational center. These four circle overlap with mission fulfillment or the organizational “Why.”
The beauty of identity questions is that they do not just guide strategy. They build culture. When board members can articulate who the organization is and what it promises, they govern with more confidence. Presidents lead with more alignment. And teams feel more connected to direction.
Identity as the Foundation for the Preferred Future
As I look back on my presidency, I realize that some of the hardest decisions were not about budgets or policies. They were about identity. Do we stay true to mission or chase the next trend? Do we protect legacy or pivot toward relevance? Do we try to be everything to everyone, or do we focus on what only we can do? Identity does not answer every question, but it frames all of them. It turns vision into direction. It turns tools into alignment. It turns questions into clarity. Without identity, boards risk building castles on sand. With it, they can lead through disruption with courage and steadiness. The work of governance is not just to safeguard today. It is to steward tomorrow. That stewardship begins with identity. Before approving budgets, launching initiatives, or setting goals, boards should pause and ask: Who are we, really? Because when boards lead from clarity of identity, something powerful happens. Strategy stops being guesswork. Initiatives align with mission. Partnerships become purposeful. And institutions step into their preferred future with coherence and trust.
Closing Reflection
This four-week LinkedIn series has traced the arc from Vision -- Questions -- Tools -- Identity. Along the way, I have tried to show that boards are not passive overseers. They are active shapers of the future. - Vision gives direction. - Questions open possibilities. - Tools ground and support decisions. - And Identity anchors purpose.
If you serve on a board, or work alongside one, I encourage you to pause at your next meeting and ask not just what are we doing, but who are we becoming. In times of disruption, that may be the most important question of all.
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Aman and Associates partners with CEOs and boards to design purposeful retreats and leadership training that create alignment, vision, and momentum. We bring proven futuring and strategy tools to help leaders clarify identity and chart a path forward. Together, we equip boards and executives to lead with clarity and confidence.
Rick Aman, PhD – Aman and Associates
rick@rickaman.com | rickaman.com/articles