Purpose

The Idea Business

While purpose is probably the most important element of business success, it is difficult to understand or explain. Business schools don’t discuss it, even though it is the reason most people work – beyond even money or power. Ideals drive purpose, which is the cohesive soul of a company. While ideals are abstract, especially in the business world, purpose converts them into action.

Purpose is a defining characteristic of successful businesses. It leads to success for three reasons:

1. It drives achievement at all levels of a company, from executives to line workers.
2. It reveals the human side of an organization. It motivates people to do what they do.
3. It drives the behavior of leaders, determining how they spend their time, and what issues they ponder and discuss.

To develop purpose in their own lives and for their companies, leaders must understand their own intellectual and emotional capacities. They must develop discipline and tenacity. When CEOs undertake difficult tasks or face crises, they must be able to rely on their strength of character. Without character or purpose, they...