Purpose Matters
If I was brutally honest, for the last ten years I’ve been stuck in a kind of ‘job’ groundhog day. I felt helpless, frustrated, and chained by the shackles of procrastination.
It wasn’t like I hated my jobs; in fact, it was quite the contrary. The one thing that kept gnawing away at me was a desire to find greater meaning in my life and work.
What was I here to do and what legacy did I want to leave?
I didn’t know the answer to that question, but I did convince myself that when I had more time and enough money, I would stop to explore it.
Most of my working life was focused on achieving success and providing for my family. It wasn’t about me. I had children, a mortgage, expectations, and responsibilities just like everyone else.
Then a series of dramatic events created the perfect storm. Financial stress, a health crisis and being made redundant all combined to drastically refocus my attention.
Now was the time to stop and reflect what was important to me, in all aspects of my life, and decide what next.
Change doesn’t just happen. I spent months thinking, researching, and seeking wise counsel to discover my specific ‘lane’ in this big, wide world.
Despite no income, mounting fear and self-doubt, I knew I had to take a risk and re-invent myself yet again. This time, I needed to follow my heart and think big.
With renewed motivation, I immersed myself to create a business that was founded on my values, beliefs, gifts, and specific skills. A purpose to serve others and move from success to significance.
And that’s how Cultivate was born.
Cultivate exists to help people and organisations unlock the power of purpose to create positive change. That’s my ‘why’.
Purpose is not some abstract concept. It is the soul and identity of every person and every organisation. It is ultimately why either exists.
A few other reasons why purpose matters:
We are hard-wired to help others.
It motivates you to keep growing.
People’s lives are transformed.
It provides greater meaning.
Organisational results are better.
Employees are more satisfied.
It delivers more positive change.
Improves ability to transform.
In these difficult times, more than ever, companies are expected to focus on more than simply profits.
They are being challenged to create a purpose-driven working environment that also serves employees, customers, and the community.
Our best work happens when we connect our hearts and minds.
Organisations who live their values and lead with a clear purpose, have a greater ability to grow revenue, innovate, engage their employees, improve customer loyalty, and take risks to drive change.
Leading with purpose is good for business but in my experience, I often felt there was a gap between what leaders say and what the business does.
There are ways to bridge that gap:
Leadership must ‘own’ the purpose.
Improve misaligned incentives.
Communicate the purpose at all levels.
Link performance to the purpose.
Reinforce the message - leave no doubt.
Empower employees to live and act.
Measure actions throughout the purpose journey.
Live it, live it, live it.
In the end, purpose does matter.