Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies

Description

In recent years, few topics in the business world have faced as much skepticism as the concept of corporate purpose, and this skepticism is entirely justified. Many companies have cynically used the idea of purpose as a mere marketing tool to project an image of virtue and appear socially responsible to the public. Some companies lack a clear understanding of what purpose truly means, often confusing it with other concepts like strategy, mission, vision, and values. Even well-intentioned leaders often fail to grasp the full potential of purpose, treating it superficially and without full commitment.

Through extensive field research and interviews with leaders from companies that prioritize purpose, such as Etsy, Lego, and Microsoft, Ranjay Gulati exposes the critical errors leaders unknowingly commit when attempting to integrate a sense of purpose into their organizations. Furthermore, he demonstrates how companies can integrate purpose much more profoundly, resulting in significant performance improvements that benefit customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, and communities alike. To achieve this, leaders must not only change how they implement purpose but also how they perceive and engage with it. Gulati refers to this as « deep purpose, » which involves a more intense, thoughtful, and comprehensive commitment to the organization’s underlying reason for existence.

As he contends, a more profound connection with purpose can serve as a fundamentally new operating system for businesses, enhancing performance while also generating meaningful benefits for society at large. This innovative approach to purpose is precisely what both businesses and society as a whole urgently require.