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Article Digest

From purpose to Impact Figure out your passion and put it


to work.
Author(s): Nick Craig and Scott Snook;
Journal & Issue: HBR Asia, May 2014
Digest Prepared by: Ms. Daisy M Hemrom
What creates the greatest leaders and companies? Each of them operates from a
slightly diferent set of assumptions about the world, their industry, what can or
cannot be done. That individual perspective allows them to create great value and
have signifcant impact. They all operate with a unique leadership purpose.
!"er t#e $ast %"e years, t#ere #as een an e&$'osion o( interest in $)r$ose*
dri"en 'eaders#i$. Academics arg)e $ers)asi"e'y t#at an e&ec)ti"e+s most
im$ortant ro'e is to e ste,ard o( t#e organi-ation+s $)r$ose. B)siness
e&$erts make t#e case t#at $)r$ose is t#e key to e&ce$tiona' $er(ormance,
,#i'e $syc#o'ogists descrie it as t#e $at#,ay to greater ,e''*eing. Doctors
#a"e e"en (o)nd t#at $eo$'e ,it# $)r$ose in t#eir 'i"es are 'ess $rone to
disease.
.#e a)t#ors e'ie"e t#at t#e $rocess o( artic)'ating yo)r $)r$ose and %nding
t#e co)rage to 'i"e it* $)r$ose to im$act* is t#e sing'e most im$ortant
de"e'o$menta' task one can )ndertake as a 'eader. .#e artic'e s#ares t#e
ste$*y*ste$ (rame,ork to start do,n t#e $at# o( /m$act to 0)r$ose, t#)s
de"e'o$ing a ne, ai'ity to t#ri"e e"en in t#e most c#a''enging times.
What is Purpose
t!s not what you do, /t+s How you do your "ob and Why# the strengths and
passions you bring to the table no matter where you are seated. A't#o)g#
yo) may e&$ress yo) $)r$ose in di1erent ,ays in di1erent conte&ts, it+s
,#at e"eryone c'ose to yo) recogni-es as )ni2)e'y yo) and ,o)'d miss most
i( yo) ,ere gone.
$t it!s core your leadership purpose springs from your identity, the essence
of who you are. 0)r$ose is not a 'ist o( t#e ed)cation, e&$erience and ski''s
yo)+"e gat#ered in yo)r 'i(e. /t a'so not a $ro(essiona' tit'e, 'imited to yo)r
c)rrent 3o or organi-ation. 0)r$ose is de%nite'y not some 3argon*%''ed catc#*
a''* 45m$o,er my team to ac#ie"e e&ce$tiona' )siness res)'ts ,#i'e
de'ig#ting o)r c)stomers6. t should be specifc and personal, resonating
with you and you alone. t doesn!t have to be aspirational or cause#based.
Ho do you !nd it"
.#e %rst task is to mine yo)r 'i(e story (or common t#reads and ma3or
t#emes. dentify your core, lifelong strengths, values and passions# those
pursuits that energi%e you and bring you "oy. .#e t#ree most e1ecti"e
$rom$ts to %nd it are7
What did you especially lo#e doing hen you ere a child$
Describe a moment and ho it made you %eel&
'he to o% your most challenging li%e e(periences& Ho ha#e
they shaped you"
What do you en)oy doing in your li%e no that helps you sing
your song"
.#e a)t#ors $oint o)t t#at one s#o)'d go t#ro)g# t#ese 2)estions in a sma''
gro)$ o( a (e, $eers, eca)se it #as een (o)nd t#at it+s a'most im$ossi'e
(or $eo$'e to identi(y t#eir 'eaders#i$ $)r$ose y t#em.
A(ter t#is re8ecti"e ,ork, take a s#ot at cra(ting a c'ear, concise and
dec'arati"e statement o( $)r$ose7 4My 'eaders#i$ $)r$ose is9.6. .#e ,ords
s#o)'d e yo)rs. 'hey must capture your essence and they must call
you to action&
*(ample o% a good purpose statement: 5'iminate 4C#aos6 and :it#
tenacity, create ri''iance etc..
*(ample o% +bad, purpose statements7 ;ead ne, markets de$artment to
ac#ie"e e&ce$tiona' )siness res)'ts. Contin)a''y and consistent'y de"e'o$
and (aci'itate t#e gro,t# and de"e'o$ment o( myse'( and ot#ers 'eading to
great $er(ormance etc..
Ho do you put your purpose into action"
&urpose'to#impact plan di1ers (rom traditiona' de"e'o$ment $'ans in se"era'
im$ortant ,ays7 they start with a statement of leadership purpose rather
than of a business or career goal. They ta(e a holistic view of professional
and personal life rather than ignore the fact that you have a family or
outside interests and commitments.
5n"ision ig*$ict)re as$irations and t#en ,ork ack,ard to set more*s$eci%c
goa's*
Create 0)r$ose Statement * .o #arness a'' t#e e'ements to ,in t#e race
:rite 5&$'anation (or t#e $)r$ose statement * /t+s a'' ao)t #o, yo)
read t#e e'ements.
Set .#ree* to <i"e*=ear >oa's * Ho, ,i'' yo) do it? Don+t (orget time (or
yo)r (ami'y and team
Set .,o*=ear@ !ne* year >oa's * /denti(y t#e ne&t 'e"e' c#a''enge and
Ho, ,i'' yo) di it? De"e'o$ yo)r ne&t 'e"e' team and take time (or yo)r
(ami'y
Ma$ !)t Critica' Ne&t Ste$s A De"e'o$ .eam, C#art o)t t#e co)rse o(
action and indi"id)a' ro'es. Break acti"ities into B@C@ mont#s@ C0 days.
<ina''y 'ook at t#e Dey Re'ations#i$s needed to t)rn yo)r $'an into
rea'ity. /denti(y t,o or t#ree $eo$'e ,#o can #e'$ yo) 'i"e more ()''y
into yo)r 'eaders#i$ $)r$ose. .#e /ndi"id)a' 0)r$ose*to*/m$act $'an
#e'$s to stay tr)e to t#e s#ort and 'ong term goa's, ins$iring co)rage,
commitment and (oc)s.
:#en e&ec)ti"es a$$roac# de"e'o$ment in t#is $)r$ose*dri"en ,ay, t#eir
as$irations are stoked. ;eaders a'so ecome more energi-ed in t#eir c)rrent
ro'es.

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