Regardless of what lens you look through, whether it’s healthcare, sports, economics, politics, or the environment, 2019 was a year dominated by change. To be an effective leader in today’s changing world, leaders need to embed purpose into foundational elements of their organizations actively. A 2016 PwC study revealed that only 34% of business leaders believe that purpose is a guidepost for leadership decision-making.

With a new year and a new decade soon before us, Bill George, Harvard Business School Professor and former Medtronic CEO, captures much of what I have discovered. “Purpose defines the unique gifts people bring to leadership challenges, through which they can align others with their purposes to create a positive impact. This is far more important than focusing entirely on achieving success in metrics like money, fame, and power, yet ultimately produces sustained success in those metrics as well.”

Bold leaders who are elevating their businesses in times of change recognize the importance of infusing purpose throughout the organization. Below are a few examples of how bold leaders embed purpose into foundational elements of an organization:

Moral Courage: Exhibit the ability to distinguish right from wrong, do the right things, have honesty and integrity, seek justice, possess humility, show respect, and serve.
Goal-Oriented: Create challenging but attainable goals that are set for the organization and its employees.
Collaborative: Foster collaborative strategic alignment as a critical component for initiating sustainable change that results in improving impact.
Planning: Enable effective prioritization of outcomes by utilizing “stakeholder developed” theories-of-action that provide the foundation for performance or outcome-based results.

Businesses led by purpose-driven leaders often achieve far more than those pursuing profit alone. Take a closer look at some of those leading the way (https://theplatoproject.com/eight-powerful-purpose-driven-businesses/ )

Do you agree?