LEADERSHIP
BY LISA EARLE MCLEOD
Two Things People Get Wrong About Purpose All the cool kids have purpose. Or so it seems. As more organizations begin to
engagement, better customer retention,
adopt corporate purpose statements, we see announcements on social media, a push for
and improved competitive differentia-
purpose-driven hiring, and CEOs deliver inspirational townhalls.
tion, all of which translate into better financial performance. After working in the purpose space
Yet for many front-line leaders, keeping an aspirational purpose alive in the
the face of stress and uncertainty, it often
for over decade, helping more than 200
falls by the wayside.
firms and authoring the two seminal
cadence of daily business is challenging.
The economics of pointing an
Much like keeping your fitness goals or
organization towards a higher purpose
I’ve observed two common misper-
parenting aspirations front and center
have been well documented. Aligning
ceptions that keep organizations from
during a pandemic, an inspirational pur-
your team around a noble purpose big-
reaping financial and emotional rewards
pose sounds great on your best day, but in
ger than money drives greater employee
of purpose.
44
books about Noble Purpose in business,
February 2021 | The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
