In this episode of Servant Leader’s Library, Nicholas Paulukow sits down with Steve Herr, Ph.D., CEO of coLAB, to discuss what happens when mission, technology, and leadership come together with purpose.
Steve shares how his background in social work, clinical leadership, and software development shaped his view of servant leadership and why better data, better systems, and better strategy can help organizations create meaningful impact. If you lead a nonprofit, a growing company, or a mission-driven team, this conversation will challenge the way you think about action, clarity, and sustainable growth.
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From Social Work to Software With a Mission
Nicholas Paulukow
Steve, your story did not begin in tech. How did service shape the way you lead?
Steve Herr
My path started in social work, not software. Early on, I was drawn to service, mentorship, and helping people navigate difficult challenges. That led me into clinical social work and psychiatric leadership, where I oversaw large teams and saw firsthand how mission-driven professionals were being asked to do more without the systems to support them. Over time, I realized the issue was not a lack of care. It was a lack of infrastructure. That is what opened the door into technology for me. I became passionate about building software that could help organizations not only serve well, but also understand whether their work was truly creating impact.
Why Nonprofits Need Better Infrastructure, Not Just More Effort
Nicholas Paulukow
You spoke a lot about the nonprofit space. What drew you and your team to that work?
Steve Herr
The nonprofit sector is doing some of the hardest and most important work in society, but many of those organizations are operating under constant pressure. They are balancing donors, volunteers, community needs, leadership demands, and limited resources all at once. What stood out to us was that technology in that space has often been expensive, outdated, or simply not designed for the realities nonprofits face every day. We saw an opportunity to help organizations build stronger operational foundations so they could make better decisions, improve sustainability, and put strategy into action in a way that actually supports their mission.
Mentorship, Humility, and the Danger of Thinking You Have It Figured Out
Nicholas Paulukow
You also talked about mentorship. What role has that played in your leadership journey?
Steve Herr
Mentorship has been essential. I truly believe the right mentor is worth their weight in gold, no matter what stage of your career you are in. One of the biggest risks in leadership is believing you have it all figured out. The moment you stop learning, you create blind spots. Mentors, peers, and other strong leaders help challenge your thinking, sharpen your judgment, and keep you growing. Leadership is not just about leading others well. It is also about staying teachable and learning how to be led by others with wisdom and experience.
Purpose and Profit Can Coexist
Nicholas Paulukow
A lot of leaders feel tension between mission and business results. How do you think about that?
Steve Herr
I do not think purpose and profitability need to be in conflict. In fact, I think healthy organizations should care about both. Over the years, especially through experiences like B Corp thinking, I came to see more clearly that people, purpose, and profit can all matter at the same time. The problem is not profitability. The problem is when results become disconnected from values. If values are only words on a wall, they do not shape culture. But when they become part of the way you hire, lead, communicate, and make decisions, they begin to define how the organization actually operates.
Why Clarity and Action Matter More Than Another Plan on the Shelf
Nicholas Paulukow
You spent a lot of time talking about strategy. Why do so many strategic plans fall flat?
Steve Herr
Because too often they become an exercise instead of a tool. Organizations spend a lot of time and money building plans that never really shape the daily work. They get stuck in opinions, wordsmithing, and broad goals that sound good but never become operational. What matters is whether a strategy can actually be put into action. That is where data becomes powerful. It creates a common language. It helps teams see where they are strong, where they need improvement, and whether progress is truly happening over time. Without action and measurement, strategy becomes shelfware.
What Servant Leadership Really Looks Like
Nicholas Paulukow
When people hear the phrase “servant leadership,” some assume it sounds soft. How do you respond to that?
Steve Herr
I think servant leadership is often misunderstood. It is not about avoiding hard conversations or lowering the standard. It is about how you lead people through those moments. It requires self-awareness, presence, and the ability to listen well. It means building trust, being genuine, and creating space for people to feel heard while still holding accountability. To me, servant leadership is not weakness. It is disciplined leadership that values people enough to lead them with clarity, honesty, and respect.
How VERVE Helps Mission-Driven Organizations Move Forward
Nicholas Paulukow
Tell us more about VERVE. What is it designed to do?
Steve Herr
VERVE is designed to help nonprofit and public organizations strengthen sustainability, align leadership, and move strategy into practical execution. Historically, strategic planning has been expensive, time-intensive, and difficult for many organizations to maintain. We wanted to create something that reduced that burden. VERVE brings together meaningful data, stakeholder input, and AI-supported synthesis to help organizations better understand themselves, clarify their priorities, and make smarter decisions. The goal is not just efficiency, although that matters. The bigger goal is to help mission-driven organizations build stronger systems around the work they already care deeply about.
Daily Habits That Keep a Leader Grounded
Nicholas Paulukow
What are some of the habits that help keep you focused and grounded as a leader?
Steve Herr
A few things stand out. First, movement and reflection help me stay centered. Practices like Qi Gong have become useful for getting grounded and resetting mentally. I also spend time organizing my day, while staying flexible enough to recalibrate when things change. And maybe most importantly, I try to stay intentional about communication. When leadership gets busy, it is easy to disappear into the work. Sometimes the best thing you can do is pause, check in with someone, and reconnect. That kind of small, human investment can have a much bigger impact than people realize.
Legacy
Nicholas Paulukow
When you think about legacy, what do you hope to leave behind?
Steve Herr
For me, legacy is not really about titles or recognition. It is about family, character, and being part of something bigger than yourself. I would want to be remembered as someone who genuinely lived what he talked about, someone who cared deeply, helped others, and did not make everything about himself. Success matters, and results matter, but the deeper question is always who you are becoming in the process. That is the part that lasts.
Final Takeaway
Nicholas Paulukow
What is one thing you hope listeners take away from this conversation?
Steve Herr
Mission-driven organizations do not just need passion. They need clarity, systems, and leadership that helps people move from intention to action. Service and strategy are not opposites. Strong leadership brings them together in a way that helps good work last.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hI2cCR4YzEg
Stream on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5buABUGET9ZiDVHKcOuaoA?si=rn1CpyPLQWyG
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