A five-year journey to help St. Joseph clarify its identity, establish its purpose and begin architecting the culture of its dreams
Watch the full Breakfast 40 presentation below. This milestone gathering recaps the first five years of The Joseph Company, introduces St. Joseph’s 3D Operating System (3DOS), reveals the results of the Community Culture Survey, and casts a vision for the next chapter of our community’s journey.
Navigate the Presentation
Presentation Outline
- 00:00 — Welcome & The Plan
- 03:50 — The 3D Journey
- 07:54 — Building a 3D Community
- 08:30 — Seeing the Dream (Seasons I–III)
- 16:14 — Exploring 3D (Seasons IV–V)
- 24:07 — 3D Spotlight: St. Joseph Police Department
- 29:03 — City of St. Joseph Progress Report
- 35:40 — Implementation & Operation: SJPD
- 48:38 — Community Culture Survey Overview
- 50:22 — The Definition of a Coach
- 48:38 — Community Culture Survey Results
- 1:04:51 — 3D Master Class
- 1:08:03 — The Great Exploration
- 1:11:55 — 2027 3D Culture Summit
- 1:16:19 — The Future
Clarifying Identity & Purpose
Before a community can intentionally architect its culture, it must first clarify its identity and establish its purpose.
At The Joseph Company, we believe authentic culture cannot be imposed from the outside. It must emerge from the inside.
Every community already has a dream of who it hopes to become.
The challenge isn’t creating that dream.
It’s discovering it, naming it, and giving people a shared language to live it together.
Over the past five years, hundreds of leaders across St. Joseph have contributed their leadership ideas, purpose statements, legacy statements, values, and vision for the future.
Those thousands of words and ideas were distilled into a common leadership language that became St. Joseph’s 3D Operating System (3DOS).
What emerged wasn’t a strategic plan. It was a shared identity.
Built by the Voices of St. Joseph
This inaugural edition of St. Joseph’s 3DOS reflects the collective voices of more than 500 community leaders who completed the 3D Institute’s 3D Coaching Certification for Business, Education, or Sport.
Our goal over the next two years is to hear from 200+ people representing each of the Seven Grand Oaks—Arts, Athletics, Business, Education, Government, Healthcare, and Nonprofit—for a total of 1,400 voices.
As more voices are added, St. Joseph’s 3DOS will continue to evolve as a living expression of the identity, purpose, and culture we aspire to build together.
Those voices revealed seven shared Cultural Distinctives that define the culture St. Joseph aspires to build.
Architecting Culture
A healthy culture doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design.
It is built when a community shares a common identity, unites around a common purpose, and embraces a shared language that guides everyday behaviors.
St. Joseph’s 3DOS provides that shared language through Seven Cultural Distinctives—shared ideals that define the leadership and culture we aspire to embody across every sector of community life.
Rather than remaining abstract values on a wall, each Cultural Distinctive is expressed through practical, observable behaviors that can be taught, modeled, measured, and multiplied.
Together, they provide a practical roadmap for building healthier teams, stronger organizations, and a stronger St. Joseph.
St. Joseph’s Cultural Distinctives
- Lead with Integrity
- Encourage & Build People
- Treat People Like Family
- Serve with Compassion
- Grow on Purpose
- Love & Respect People
- Pursue Excellence Together
How Close Are We?
Before we can move forward, we need an honest picture of where we stand today.
The St. Joseph Community Culture Survey gathered the perspectives of 317 community members, measuring how frequently they experience the Seven Cultural Distinctives where they live, work, learn, serve, and build relationships.
The results provide an honest snapshot of our community’s current culture and reveal where we have the greatest opportunity to grow.
Explore the Results
Each Cultural Distinctive below includes its identity statement, the survey questions used to measure it, and the community’s overall score.
Together, they reveal how closely St. Joseph’s current culture reflects the culture we aspire to build.
Open each Cultural Distinctive for more details.
Survey Response Scale
- Rarely: The behavior is inconsistent or uncommon.
- Sometimes: The behavior is present, but only occasionally.
- Often: The behavior is regular and noticeable.
- Consistently: The behavior is deeply embedded and widely experienced.
Lead with Integrity
Identity Statement
We are leaders who do the right thing, tell the truth, follow through, and create trust by being the same person in public and in private.
Culture Survey Questions
- Leaders model integrity and honesty in their decisions and actions.
- People follow through on commitments and do what they say they will do.
- People take responsibility for their actions and their impact on others.
- Trust is strengthened through consistency between words and actions.
- Leadership is modeled through actions, not just titles or words.
Encourage & Build People
Identity Statement
We are encouragers who see potential in people, speak life, and intentionally help others grow stronger in skill, mind, and heart.
Culture Survey Questions
- Encouragement and positivity are regularly expressed across teams, organizations, and relationships.
- Leaders intentionally invest in developing and mentoring other people.
- People feel empowered and encouraged to grow, contribute, and lead.
- People use their influence to strengthen and encourage others.
- People share wisdom, experience, and knowledge to help others succeed.
Treat People Like Family
Identity Statement
We are a people-first community that values relationships, supports one another, and creates belonging.
Culture Survey Questions
- People feel seen, valued, and cared for in the environments they are part of.
- People support one another during challenges and difficult situations.
- People feel a sense of belonging in the environments they are part of.
- People prioritize relationships and people over image, status, or personal gain.
- People actively include and support individuals who feel disconnected or overlooked.
Serve with Compassion
Identity Statement
We are people who move toward needs and use our influence to help, protect, and uplift others.
Culture Survey Questions
- People communicate with respect, honesty, and humility even during disagreement.
- Compassion and kindness shape how people respond to others.
- Courageous conversations happen when something needs to be addressed.
- Grace and forgiveness are extended when people fall short or make mistakes.
Grow on Purpose
Identity Statement
We are learners who pursue excellence, embrace growth, and stay humble enough to keep improving.
Culture Survey Questions
- Leaders create environments where people feel safe to be honest and authentic.
- People are encouraged to continue learning, growing, and improving.
- People are willing to admit mistakes, learn from them, and move forward.
- People believe they can make a meaningful difference in the community.
Love & Respect People
Identity Statement
We are people who honor others with respect, bring joy to the culture, and lead with love.
Culture Survey Questions
- People treat others with dignity, empathy, and kindness regardless of role or status.
- People are treated with respect regardless of role, background, or status.
- Joy, encouragement, and positivity are present in the environments people experience.
- Trust is present across relationships within teams, organizations, and the broader community.
Pursue Excellence Together
Identity Statement
We are a community of teammates who work for the common good, persevere through challenges, and pursue excellence together.
Culture Survey Questions
- People are willing to serve and support others even when there is little recognition or reward.
- People are willing to collaborate across teams, organizations, and differences.
- People continue showing perseverance and resilience during adversity and challenge.
- People share a desire to build a healthier and stronger community.
Beyond the Averages
The overall averages provide a helpful snapshot, but the most valuable insights emerged when we looked beneath the surface.
Several clear patterns emerged across the data that can help guide leaders as we continue building the culture St. Joseph aspires to become.
Differing Perspectives
One of the most significant findings in the data analysis was the gap between how people serving in formal leadership roles and other respondents perceived the culture of our community.
Across all Seven Cultural Distinctives, leaders consistently viewed the health of the culture more positively than those outside formal leadership roles.
Whatever the reason, this gap presents an important opportunity for every leader. If people are not experiencing the culture we aspire to build, then we still have work to do.
One of the first responsibilities of leadership is to honestly understand the culture through the eyes of others. Only then can we begin closing the gap between the culture we hope to build and the culture people actually experience each day.
One Area of Complete Agreement
While perceptions differed across the Seven Cultural Distinctives, there was one question where the community spoke with remarkable unity.
“I believe our community is moving in a healthy direction for future generations.”
This question received the lowest score in the entire survey. Nearly 78% of respondents expressed a lack of confidence in the community’s future, and unlike the other findings, there was virtually no difference between leaders and non-leaders. Across sectors, roles, and demographics, people shared the same concern.
If there is one place where our community is united, it is in the belief that we must create a better future.
The Good News
The future hasn’t been created yet.
This survey is not a prediction of where St. Joseph is headed. It is simply an honest snapshot of where we are today.
Culture is not static. It is shaped every day by the choices we make, the words we speak, the relationships we build, and the values we choose to live out.
The path forward begins with seeing clearly, taking ownership, and intentionally embodying our Seven Cultural Distinctives.
As we do, we can grow beyond stability and become a community marked by success and significance.
A Community Conversation
The survey was never intended to be the end of the conversation. It was designed to start a new one.
On August 27, community members from every sector will gather for A Community Conversation to reflect on what we’ve learned from the survey, celebrate what’s working, and honestly discuss the opportunities before us.
This won’t be a lecture or a debate. It will be an opportunity to unite, listen, learn, and contribute alongside others who genuinely care about the future of St. Joseph. Our goal is not to assign blame, but to build a better future together.
Whether you serve in Arts, Athletics, Business, Education, Government, Healthcare, or Nonprofit, your perspective matters. We hope you’ll take a seat at the table.
Location details will be announced soon.
Want to receive an invitation? Let us know using the form below.
Join the Great Exploration
The future of St. Joseph will not be written by a committee. It will be shaped by people who choose to become the leaders our community needs.
This fall, The Joseph Company invites you to invest in your own leadership capacity by joining us for The Great Exploration. This is a community-wide 3D Master’s Class cohort designed to help leaders clarify identity, establish purpose, and intentionally shape culture in your sphere of influence.
Over nine live sessions, you’ll walk through the complete 3D Framework, clarify your core values, write your Foundational Purpose Statement, define your leadership legacy, and develop practical tools for leading with greater purpose and influence.
Along the way, you’ll contribute your leadership ideals, core values, purpose statement, legacy statement, leadership reflections, and vision for the future. Those contributions become part of the growing St. Joseph 3D Operating System (3DOS), helping future editions more accurately reflect the identity, purpose, and culture of our community.
Every participant also receives full access to the 3D Coaching Certification for Business, Education, or Sport and joins a team that puts leadership into action through a Community Impact Project.
The next edition of St. Joseph’s 3DOS is still being written.
Join the Great Exploration. Add your voice. Help shape the culture future generations will inherit.
3D Master Class
3D Master Class is a nine week leadership journey that equips leaders with a practical framework for building healthier people, stronger teams, and thriving cultures. Designed for leaders in every sector, it provides practical tools to lead with greater purpose, clarity, and lasting impact.
10.08.26 – Welcome & Intro to 3D
10.15.26 – Communication & Motivation
10.22.26 – Confidence & Emotions
10.29.26 – Cohesion & Goal Setting
11.05.26 – Life-Giving Culture
11.12.26 – Character & Identity
11.19.26 – Value, Worth & Significance
11.24.26 – Community Impact Project
12.03.26 – ALL IN on Your Purpose
"I hope that every leader in St. Joseph goes through this course. I see the vision - of everyone being on the same page with this information - what a great place it will be to live and raise our families. There are truly great things happening in this city, simply because leaders have implemented this framework into their businesses."