It was an agonizing day, I sat through a strategy session without a clear sense of direction. The leader whipped back and forth between topics and problems. I found the meeting tiring. One of the greatest psychological needs employees have is certainty. Certainty involves everything from work expectations, trusting relationships and goals. Certainty includes a clear business direction. Where are we going?
Purpose driven leadership insists that the leader is guided by a mission or cause. This cause is clearly communicated to all stakeholders. Commonly, the decisions and actions a leader makes are influenced by the guardrails of the core values of the business. Consider three levels of purpose driven leaders – individual, team and organizational.
Individual Level
A purpose driven individual knows where they are headed. These individuals are driven by a cause. Not only are they self-actualized, but they are transcendent. What gets you up in the morning? The answer to this question will inform your cause.
Team Level
A purpose driven team knows their direction and makes decisions for the betterment of shared goals and vision. What is your team’s shared fate?
Business Level
A business chooses why they exist and why they show up. Therefore, the guide for the purpose driven leader is intrinsic. A contrast Instead of personality, service, situation, power or title.
How well do purpose driven leaders perform compared to other leaders? Consider the table below, which examines the various levels of purpose driven leadership.
Gomes, Jorge FS, and Leigh-Ann Jones. “The purpose effect: connecting hearts, minds and management.” Strategy & Leadership (2026): 1-21. – Table Below
A purpose driven leader balances the tension of their individual purpose and pushing toward a their mission. There is nothing inherently wrong with seeking to bring about economic growth to your business and driving the overall economy. Similarly, pursuing purpose without profit may be short-lived in a world of constant change. The question of how long with the business continue and how sustainable is the mantra of increasing shareholder value without a sense of direction.
The sustainability of the meeting without direction was short lived. Quickly participants in this meeting began to get frustrated wondering when the meeting would end and they could get back to the real work that awaited them.
How are you living out your purpose?