Does Your Work Feed Your Soul? It should.
I’ve counseled my children, all adults now, to pursue the work and the life that truly represents them and the world view they desire. While they are each still in the process of figuring this out, they’ve had many opportunities to know what they don’t want. They’ve had jobs where the company or the managers have quickly made it clear that the only purpose for existing is making money, and neither the customer nor the employee really figures into the equation successfully. My kids, and their peers, not only need more from their work than a bottom-line-driven company, they need to feel they are making a difference for good. Dr John Izzo and Jeff Vanderwielen know how they feel and have written a great book about it.
The Purpose Revolution: How Leaders Create Engagement and Competitive Advantage in an Age of Social Good, speaks to leaders and everyone else. Through examples, explanations, and compelling stories of companies putting the good of their employees, customers, and society at the top of their priority list, Izzo and Vanderwielen explain how we need to find our sense of purpose as individuals and as organizations because, “When we have purpose in our work and life, it becomes food for the human soul.” (quote from John Izzo in an interview I did with him and Jeff Vanderwielen)
John and Jeff have come to see a focus on purpose, as they explain in the introduction of their book, as, “not just another wave about to hit the shores of your organization but is literally the most important wave of our generation.” And through reading The Purpose Revolution and talking with them both, I’ve come to agree.
Both authors have very personal connections to this topic that have impelled the writing of The Purpose Revolution. In their professional and philanthropic lives, they’ve met people who have not been happy, and in an effort to help, discovered that encouraging a search for purpose, a way to impact others for the good, opened new avenues of work and a deeper enjoyment and appreciation of all aspects of their lives. Jeff said to me, “We all have something we want to accomplish that is bigger than ourselves. We need to connect to that.” Taking that into the organizational space has had broad impact and contributes to longevity and success.
Through reading The Purpose Revolution, I was inspired to look more deeply at how I coach and consult. I began to understand even more fully how helping people discover their own desires to be of service and be part of organizations and companies that have purpose-driven missions truly makes a huge difference. What really surprised and inspired me, though, were some of the stories John and Jeff included in the book. One that really stands out is that of Heineken Mexico.
I have to admit that I did not expect a beer company to have a purpose beyond making beer and money, and I didn't think that was necessarily a bad thing. What I discovered was that any business, no matter what it provides in products or services, can have a purpose that inspires and drives excellence and loyalty from employee and customer alike. John explained a bit more in our conversation. “Leaders often see their people the way they see their family dog - offer enough treats, and you’ll get good work.” But this isn’t even true for dogs. Research shows that dogs crave the joy and affection offered when they do a trick or perform a task way more than the morsel of food. John continued, “Work needs to be more than a paycheck, but most people haven’t been trained to lead with purpose. They use it more as an enticement to employees and customers than a foundation for the existence of the company.”
So the real motive of making money speaks much more loudly and becomes a turn-off in the long run. Jeff agreed and added, “It leads to a lot of disillusionment, and then you lose your best employees and customers. What we pay attention to grows. Leaders need training in how to get to know their employees, to find out what excites them, and how to create work that includes a meaningful sense of purpose.”
As The Purpose Revolution points out, millennials are demanding work with purpose. It gives statistics and anecdotes that prove, if you want the best young people, you need to get this purpose thing figured out. But as the book shows over and over again, it is not just the young that need to be fulfilled in their work. Every individual associated with a company or organization, whether they be the customer, service recipient, or the CEO, have a basic human need to do and be more than a worker or a person in need. Inspire a sense of purpose in others, and you start to see their best work, creativity, loyalty, and satisfaction emerge.
And yes, the book does explain how leading with purpose impacts sustainable and growing profits, but only when that leadership is authentic, transparent, and honest. The Purpose Revolution includes useful and impactful tools for genuinely implementing a purpose movement and explains well how to use them in ways that will succeed on all fronts.
Near the end of our conversation, both John and Jeff talked about how we are whole beings. We are not work people spliced together with our outside-work personas. John said, “The more we realize our need for purpose in all aspects of our lives, the less we’ll settle for work and relationships that make us feel empty. Get introspective. Find what your purpose is. Figure out what you want your legacy to be. Then act on it.” Jeff added, “Really recognize this opportunity. Do something that activates purpose in you and in others. This will be fertile ground for your legacy.”
**Get the book at https://drjohnizzo.com/the-purpose-revolution-book/
Originally published on LinkedIn