Mission Drift: Pitfalls in Leadership and Practice

Mission drift rarely occurs through deliberate abandonment of purpose. More often, it emerges incrementally as organizations respond to growth, complexity, and external pressures that reshape leadership structures, operational practices, and definitions of success. Building on the foundational work of Greer and Horst, this paper examines the conditions under which mission-driven organizations—particularly humanitarian and faith-based organizations—become vulnerable to misalignment between mission intent and practice. Drawing on research and field experience, it explores the risks associated with leadership transitions, the uncritical adoption of business paradigms, the separation of theology from organizational decision-making, and mismatches between business and humanitarian measures of effectiveness. The paper argues that remaining Mission True requires intentional alignment between mission intent, leadership behavior, governance, and success metrics, and concludes by reframing success in terms of faithfulness rather than growth.

Access Dr. Voorhies’s free resource on Mission Drift here.