Perhaps one of the most challenging tasks for a leader is creating a sense of purpose—both for yourself and for your organization. Leaders must define a purpose, then communicate that purpose to direct reports, and then create a unified culture around that purpose. Each stage requires a unique combination of strategic thinking and practical skills that don’t always come naturally.
Before you try to communicate a strong sense of purpose on your team, make sure you know exactly, you want to convey. While many companies spend a great deal of time clarifying a vision, mission statements, and values, the company’s purpose is often more challenging to define. But without a purpose, leaders and employees can find it challenging to find meaning in what they’re doing every day, and a cohesive team may never form.
Your business purpose is the “why”—the reason you’re in business in the first place. Your business purpose is why you do what you do. It’s the intersection of your vision (where you’re going), your values (how you’ll get there), and your mission (what you do and who you do it for). Your purpose is just as essential as your vision, values, and mission; in fact, a clearly defined purpose is one sign of a healthy organization.
Defining your purpose is the first step in aligning individual teams and the greater organization around it. But once you’ve defined it, how can you integrate it into your company culture—to create purpose throughout your organization?
In our LEAD NOW! Leadership Development Model, we identify four key behaviors that will help create purpose across your team and organization:
4 Key Behaviors to Create Purpose
1. Customer Focus
Focus relentlessly on both external AND internal customers. Know what they want and why they want it. Understand what they need and how they want to interact with your company. Consider what you would like as a customer, and emphasize that focus as you work with others to provide what customers want.
2. Effective Communication
It’s not just the words you use or your style or tone that make communication effective, though those things are undoubtedly important. It’s also whether you cultivate an air of openness around yourself and within your organization. Can people call you any time? Are you transparent? Do you communicate an open-door policy -even in an online or digital setting? Have you clearly and repeatedly shared the company and team purpose to ensure alignment?
3. Presentation Skills
Whatever your level of leadership in the organization, giving an effective presentation is one of the most practical skills you can develop. Make sure you target your presentation to the right audience. For instance, a board of directors will want and need different information than your product development team. Keep it brief, and use a format that resonates with your audience. Does the group prefer a sleek design with vivid visual elements or a series of charts and graphs? Do they want a PowerPoint or an interactive speech with props? As you tailor your presentation, be sure it’s aligned with the purpose you want to communicate.
4. Strategic Thinking
As a leader, you have to do more than just define purpose; you also need to determine the tactics and actions that will propel your team and company toward its goals. You need to stand above your organization to get a “big picture” view and then make plans to get there. Shift away from day-to-day firefighting, and be willing to engage in some moderate risk to get to your ultimate goals.
As you engage with your team and your organization, use these behaviors to start creating a strong sense of purpose within your company. It won’t be long before you see your purpose reflected within your company culture.
To learn more about our LEAD NOW! Model and find out how you can assess your own skills and aptitudes, contact us.
