The power of a PURPOSE with PULL

What makes an organization’s purpose statement truly powerful?

A key driver of motivation and engagement is PURPOSE. Our understanding of the impact of purpose has expanded over the past several decades.

In the mid-20th century, Viktor Frankl – an Austrian psychologist and a concentration camp survivor - built an entire school of psychology around purpose. He advanced his understanding of the importance of purpose in his book “Man’s Search for Meaning”.

Decades later, Jim Collins, a business management and company sustainability / growth consultant wrote his seminal book “Built to Last”. In this book he delved into businesses which had been successful for 50 or more years.

What did Collins’ research reveal?

What all these long-term successful companies had in common was what he labeled a CORE PURPOSE. He found that it was this core purpose which drove company decision making, produced stability and provided direction over multiple generations.

A consensus has emerged among psychologists, leadership scholars and organizational development professionals that PURPOSE is one of the key elements for business success. As a consequence most contemporary companies have formulated a purpose statement.

Yet not all purpose statements are created equal

In today’s constantly changing business environment, leaders need to ask themselves:

What are the essential components of a truly powerful purpose statement?

AUTHENTIC

A purpose statement is an articulation of what a company believes and informs all its decisions and daily practice

TRANSCENDS THE SELF

A purpose statement inspires individuals to pursue goals that go beyond the company and respect communities, society and our planet

EMBODIES LONG-TERM THINKING

A purpose statement reflects the spirit of cathedral builders who contributed to a project which outlived them over multi-generations

SIMPLE

A purpose statement is a concise statement which manifests all the components outlined above in one all-encompassing sentence in as few words as possible

Sounds like an overwhelming task?

Be inspired by a thriving company with a powerful purpose - Interface

n 1994 he CEO of the company Interface Ray Anderson embarked on the journey to create a business “in harmony with nature”. Unfortunately he did not live long enough to see his vision realized.

Yet the new leadership of this carpet manufacturer continued with the pursuit of this company’s purpose. As a result of this purpose-driven efforts, the carpet manufacturer became certified as a net-zero emissions company in 2019.

This initial purpose continues to drive decision-making. Interface is currently focusing on becoming a fully circular business. Its target? To reach zero waste throughout their business by the 2040s

How powerful is your organization’s purpose?

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