What is the purpose of Purpose?

TL;DR

• Purpose sharpens leadership: When leaders define their purpose as their greatest contribution + greatest impact, they gain clarity, focus, and make better decisions about where to spend their time and what to delegate. 

• Purpose is a filter, not fluff: Real leadership impact comes from aligning actions with purpose, not chasing performance or image.  

• Purpose requires ongoing reflection: Leaders must regularly reconnect to their purpose by reviewing their calendar, seeking feedback, and asking what impact they want to have. 

I had two powerful reminders last week of what it means to lead with Purpose.

First, I facilitated a leadership retreat for a peer group I coach through the High Impact Lab. We built personal purpose maps using a framework from Erin and Sue, the exceptional founders of High Impact Lab and all-around great peeps:

Purpose = Greatest Contribution + Greatest Impact.

When this incredible group of leaders defined their Purpose in these terms, they gained clarity. Their energy became focused. Their leadership strategies became simpler, and their understanding of what to delegate to their teams was obvious. 

Purpose brought energy and focus to their leadership approach.

Second, I listened to Golden Eagle, Brittany from the Squamish-Lillooet First Nation, open the conference with a land acknowledgement and a traditional song. 

I'll admit that land acknowledgments have often felt performative to me.

But Brittany's voice, story, and deep connection to why the ritual mattered cut through everything. It wasn't just words. It was a purpose in action.

Her connection and sense of duty to her Purpose made the acknowledgment powerful.

So what's the leadership takeaway on Purpose?

Purpose isn't fluff, it's a filter. 

It helps leaders determine where to allocate their time and energy to achieve the most significant impact. 

But here's the challenge: it's easy for leaders to drift from their Purpose in the name of performance. 

Starbucks is a great example.

The brand had drifted from its original Purpose, creating a "third place" between home and work. Mobile ordering had streamlined efficiency but gutted the in-store experience, leading to Howard Schultz's return as CEO in 2022. 

Schultz didn't just cut costs or push products; he reconnected the company to its founding Purpose: community. 

That shift redefined priorities. Starbucks reinvested in store design and barista culture, restoring internal pride. Strategy followed Purpose, not the other way around.

Contrast that with leaders who chase trends or quarterly numbers without a clear compass. 

I just watched The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. She wasn't just unethical; she was disconnected from a meaningful purpose, concerned only with image and valuation.

Without a grounding reason for being, pressure took over. The results were catastrophic for employees, investors, customers, and ultimately herself.

Here's the point:

When leaders operate without a connection to Purpose, they default to pleasing others, managing optics, or simply surviving, and as a result, neither the business nor they thrive.

However, when they lead purposefully, they create alignment, engagement, and trust, which drive long-term, sustainable results. 

Employees want to work for something and someone who stands for something meaningful, and all your staff are constantly watching for inconsistencies in leadership behaviours that erode the actual connection to purpose.

Questioning your connection to Purpose? Try this:

Ask yourself: What impact do I most want to have in the next 12 months? If your answer isn't immediate or energizing, dig deeper.

Review your calendar: Are your top meetings, projects, and priorities aligned with your most significant contribution? If not, what needs to shift? What can you delegate or eliminate?

Get feedback: Ask a trusted colleague or team member, "What do you think I stand for as a leader?" "What behaviours do I demonstrate most closely align with that purpose?" "Do I demonstrate any behaviours that are inconsistent?" If their answers surprise you, there's a gap worth exploring.

Purpose isn't something you find once; it's something you practice. Start getting clear on your Purpose and practice it in your work, and you will be amazed at the impact you will have.

As always, if you need help, I am here.

P.S. As mentioned above, a powerful tool is the purpose map from the High Impact Lab (image below). This is what we worked on in our retreat. If you want to be part of a powerful group of executives working on valuable leadership strategies, such as purpose, we have several groups available.