Ep. 25 - Building Culture is Not About You with Melanie Huggins

What if the key to building a strong culture isn’t about you at all?In this episode, Kim and Jada sit down with Melanie Huggins, CEO of Girl Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands and former CEO of Richland Library, for a candid conversation about leadership, burnout, reinvention, and what it really takes to build a culture that lasts.With more than thirty years of leadership experience, Melanie shares hard-earned lessons from transforming a large public institution, navigating COVID-era exhaustion, and stepping into a new CEO role where culture change is still unfolding in real time.Together, they explore:Why culture is built in the details no one seesWhat it means to “operationalize equity”How brand promises must match internal behaviorsWhy culture change takes longer than you thinkThe tension between honoring legacy and leading transformationRecognizing burnout before it reshapes who you areCreating space to pause, reflect, and make brave decisionsMelanie offers a powerful reframe: culture is not about what leaders prefer or how they want to operate. It is about the people you serve. The customer. The member. The girl at camp. The parent who must trust you.If your organization is in a hard culture moment, if you are leading through change, or if you are quietly wondering whether it’s time for your own next chapter, this conversation will meet you there.Because building culture is not about ego.It is about alignment. It is about trust. And sometimes, it is about knowing when something is over so something new can begin.If today’s conversation resonated, connect with us and be part of the community of leaders who refuse to lead alone. JadaWillis.com | [email protected] | [email protected]