Make an impact, reap the rewards

What I do is guide leaders to uncover their business purpose, which is a key strategic asset of any business.

 It’s not about finding your elusive meaning of life, even though it may be what you discover as an outcome nonetheless.

 A strategic purpose is about why you’re doing what you’re doing — a reason for people (employees, customers, suppliers) to align and work with you.

It’s about making an impact — not a “making a profit” only focus — an impact on the lives of others.

And a beautiful side effect of this is that it makes you feel good, and energised.

Whilst some companies aim to solve global issues, your deep desire may be to see positive change in your industry… something that makes life easier for others. It may be contributing your bit to save the world’s resources, or doing something practical that saves other businesses from going broke.

 There’s Atlassian, who openly shared their internal playbooks, team practices, and culture tools, lifting the standard of teamwork across the entire tech industry… and Bunnings, who brought community support into the centre of retail through local fundraising, DIY education, and trade-skills workshops. Or closer to home, Plus Systems, “transforming the construction industry” by providing training, free business tools for education, lobbying government for fairer compliance standards, and helping small contractors stay financially viable.

 When thinking about your purpose, think about the things that piss you off.

What is broken, unfair, inefficient, or unnecessarily difficult in your industry?

And how could your business make an impact on that?

 What is your purpose?

 Because the side effect of living it is simple: you feel good… clearer, more energised, and more connected to the work you do and the people it helps.

 “What brings no benefit to the hive, brings none to the bee.” — Marcus Aurelius