Today, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Rockland Business Women’s Network, a fantastic group of business owners and executives who are changing the way business is done, not just in Rockland County NY, but around the globe.
The topic was how “higher purpose” creates healthier cultures, stronger brands, and higher-performing businesses. We began by exploring this new “purpose era” we seem to have entered. Purpose is everywhere these days: in the mindfulness and meditation movement (where it’s long played an essential role), in business and personal-development books, in social impact movements like #Enough and #MeToo, and even on the agendas of the world’s largest institutional investors.
Purpose is having its moment because we’ve lost a commonly shared sense of “institutional truth.” Large numbers of Americans no longer trust the government, the media, or even industry. We crave authenticity. We want something to believe in. When we know a person’s or company’s purpose – especially if it is delivered as a concise and relatable story – we get a glimpse of the truth of who they are and what they stand for. We are naturally drawn to it and we respond positively.
Purpose is integral to the success of any brand, along with a sound Strategy and a healthy Culture. Without any one of the three, an organization risks failure by either missing opportunity, fizzling out and being surpassed by more energetic competitors, or going rogue and undermining the brand, as we have seen with countless corporate scandals.
Below is a brief video clip of our opening comments and feel free to download a copy of our slides.
Thanks again to the RBWN board and members for hosting us!