The Flywheel Effect: Why Museum Momentum is Built, Not Bought

In his classic book Good to Great, Jim Collins describes the "Flywheel Effect." He asks readers to imagine a massive metal disc mounted on an axle. To get it moving, you push with all your might. At first, it barely inches forward. You keep pushing, and after an hour of effort, you get one full rotation. You keep pushing. Eventually, the wheel’s own weight works for you. Momentum takes over, and the wheel spins almost on its own.

For museum leaders, this metaphor is critical. We often look for the "miracle moment" such as the blockbuster exhibit or a the single massive grant or donation to transform our institutions. As incredible as those miracles might be when they happen, sustainable museums aren't built by a single push; they are built by the accumulation of small, consistent strategic decisions.

If your museum feels like it is stuck, you don't need more brute force. You need to identify where friction is stopping your flywheel. Here are three common "brakes" on museum momentum and how to release them.

1. The Governance Brake: Doing vs. Directing

One of the most common sources of friction in small to mid-sized museums is the "Management Team" board model. In the early days of a non-profit, this model is necessary; board members are effectively unpaid staff, handling bookkeeping, greeting visitors, or fixing the roof.

As a museum grows, this model becomes a brake. When a board is focused on doing the work, they often struggle to monitor the work. They get stuck in the weeds of daily operations, leading to micromanagement and staff burnout.

To get the flywheel spinning, institutions must transition to a Policy Board Model. In this structure, the board steps back from the day-to-day to focus on governance, policy, and long-term resources. This shift reduces internal friction and frees up the Executive Director to actually drive the bus rather than just reporting on the engine parts. And, make no mistake, reporting on those engine parts is exhausting and comes with a real cost.

2. The Resource Brake: The Trap of "Mission Creep"

Another way museums lose momentum is by pushing the wheel in conflicting directions. This often manifests as the "Doom Loop" of financial instability.

Museums frequently fall into the trap of chasing revenue through transactional means that don't align with their core purpose such as hosting weddings, selling irrelevant merchandise, or creating commercial experiences that dilute the brand. While these generate cash, they often distract from the mission and can even trigger tax liabilities.

Although revenue generation is critical, successful flywheels are fueled by alignment. When your revenue generation (development, membership, grants, and earned revenue from mission-related services) is perfectly aligned with your mission, every dollar raised also advances your purpose. The most resilient museums focus on building a robust individual giving program where donors invest in the impact of the museum, not just a transaction, and building earned revenue from activities that implement the mission, not just funneling money from a unrelated activity back into the mission activities.

3. The Strategy Brake: Ambiguous Identity

You cannot build momentum if you are pushing in two different directions. Many museums struggle with identity crises. They're trying to be a community center, a tourist attraction, and a research facility all at once, sometimes operating under confusing or multiple names.

If your community is confused about what you are, you are creating drag on your flywheel. Clarity is an accelerator. A clear, descriptive identity that signals exactly who you are and who you serve allows your marketing, programming, and fundraising to push in unison.

Keeping the Wheel Spinning

The Flywheel Effect teaches us patience and discipline. There is no single action that will define your museum’s success. Instead, it is the discipline of aligning your governance, your resources, and your identity.

When these components lock into place, the heavy lifting becomes easier. The friction disappears. And your museum, finally, begins to fly.