In a rapidly changing business environment, leadership is changing too. Gone are the old hierarchies and deference to authority. In its place, authentic leadership has become one of the most highly sought-after C-Suite attributes. The move makes sound societal and business sense: Multiple studies show that purpose-driven leaders tend to have more loyal and engaged teams and generate higher brand and shareholder value.

This is not just about communicating in a confident and compelling way. More importantly, it involves discovering your authentic purpose as a leader, leading by example, encouraging each individual in your team to do the same, and connecting those purposes together to form a shared vision. Rather than being a leader of followers, you will become a leader of leaders. 

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What’s this offering about?

Through our collaboration you will

• become a purpose-driven leader, guided by a clear vision, who takes decisions that align with the goals and values you care about.
  
  
• forget about all the business cliches and stock answers and develop your credibility as an authentic leader.
  
  
• build a culture of openness, innovation and empowerment to help each individual to discover the unique contribution they make to your team and how it aligns with their purpose and that of your organization.
  
  

Why purpose-driven leadership matters

‍The traditional conception of leadership envisaged a single leader at the top of a management hierarchy. Business strategy, vision, mission, goals and culture would be drafted at executive level and then communicated from the top down by management to achieve “alignment”. As much as we may like to imagine that things have changed, many firms still operate in this manner today.

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The problem with this approach is that many employees begin to feel alienated, leading to lower employee engagement, higher staff turnover, and organizational stagnation.The goal of purpose-driven leadership is to not only achieve alignment, but genuine commitment on the part of each employee to their personal role in an organization. In uncertain times, employees are increasingly seeking meaning in their working lives, asking “why” rather than “what”. Whether you agree with all his conclusions or not, the zeitgeist was captured succinctly by David Graeber, who published “Bullshit Jobs” in 2018. It argued that rather than reducing the working week, technological efficiency has resulted in ever more people working in essentially meaningless jobs that have no societal value. Purpose is a priority that particularly concerns Gen Z and millennial employees, who already make up the majority of the workforce.

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A PwC study shows that millennial employees are over five times more likely to stay at a firm if they feel connected to its purpose, while employees who work in a purpose-driven culture are far more likely to be engaged. Purpose-driven leadership has also been linked to increases in brand and shareholder value. But these gains can only be achieved by moving away from strict hierarchies and encouraging leadership to be distributed throughout the team according to the talents and abilities of each member. Furthermore, it will only be effective if leaders communicate authentically and employees are genuinely committed to the values and purpose of the organization.Ready to lead with purpose and inspire your team? Find out how you can become a purpose-driven leader and create a positive impact in your organization and society.