Purpose is a driving force, passion, and reason for why something is done. People have purpose. For an individual, purpose translates into a governing motivation and a commitment to perform certain activities. Purpose can be derived from finding meaningful work or prized activities in life. Once realized, purpose acts as a moral compass for your decisions, your calling, and for you life.
Frankl (1958) argues that “purpose is central to a good human life and that happiness comes from fidelity to a worthy purpose; while the absence or disconnection with, or perceived worthless nature of a purpose will lead to unhappiness within an individual.”
Organizations also have purpose. The corporate purpose is how an organization sees and defines purpose internally and for its stakeholders. The corporate purpose does not just communicate what an organization does or how it functions. Rather, a corporate purpose is established for a reason that extends far beyond the idea of maximizing shareholder value, but onto timeless values for why a company exists, develops products (or services) to benefit society.
People and organizations that thrive overtime do so by invoking and fulfilling a purpose; ideally one based timeless values. Furthermore, people that have a greater sense of purpose in their lives tend to perform to greater extents than their counterparts. These people are also found to be more fulfilled and happy in their lives as well. Organizations that also embody a shared purpose tend to produce greater profits than those that don’t (Mourkogiannis, 2007).
As a leader, understanding the concepts of purpose for you as an individual and for your organization has a tremendous benefit for leadership, your team, and the cause you lead.
James MacGregory Burns (1978) writes; “there is nothing so power-full, nothing so effective, nothing so causal as common (or shared) purpose . . . leadership is nothing if not linked to collective purpose”. (p. 3). In this way shared corporate purpose might be described as the essential glue that binds moral leaders and their followers together (Springett, 2004).
In thier best selling book, Built to Last, Collins and Porras (1994) observed that ‘an enduring sense of purpose’ was the most important reason a few companies were able to maintain an outstanding performance over such a long period.
It is this understanding of purpose and the discovery journey which will ignite a drive for consistent transformational change in one’s life and career. The bible tells us that we are each uniquely and wonderfully made by God, each with a defined purpose and reason for being on this earth. Understanding one’s purpose and how that can be intimately realized in Jesus Christ will provide the greatest adventure any of us could ever imagine.
We want this site to assist you in beginning your own journey with God to discover your purpose in life and come to intimate understanding of how you are made for a life of influence and impact.
