217 week ago — 6 min read
Innovators who embrace the role of purpose in their work stand a greater shot at success. Having a belief stemming from a real problem that you passionately want to solve says, “I see something that needs to change, and I am going to change it.”
Aligning your core belief to a real problem sets the foundation for differentiation, is a magnet for talent who want to fight alongside you for your vision and can help you power through the inevitable obstacles and challenges you will face as an innovator.
The purpose is in the conversation everyplace in business and life. I may tune into the topic because I redirected my own career away from shareholder-driven companies towards what seemed to be a more significant 'why' aligned with my values: My purpose is to use my expertise to help innovators succeed. Or maybe it’s because I see our two millennial kids making life choices that are so purpose-led. The millennial commitment to purpose inspires me.
Do not confuse purpose with an ad campaign, cause-related marketing effort, or slick CSR program report. Nor is it about a mission statement that remains just that – a statement.
Just like 'Innovation,' purpose is easy to talk about, hard to deliver. Authentic purpose emerges from the core of who you are and what values you stand for. It permeates an organisation’s culture, processes, policies, and practices. It is inherent to the business model. It is upheld and nurtured and implemented every day by every member of the organisation.
Purpose is role-modelled from the top of the house, but it’s not a top-down edict.
When purpose drives a business, employees are making decisions, asking questions in meetings, and doing their jobs in a manner that reflects their commitment to, belief in, and advocacy for why the business exists and what the organisation’s values are.
Purpose nurtured in this manner links directly to innovation – and helps to achieve meaningful differentiation, establish a special culture and identity, and build an authentic brand that stands for something of deeper value to stakeholders than product, service, or bottom line.
Seeing Kraft Heinz’s recent disastrous earnings announcement made me think about the contrast between this relentless cost squeezer, to the thriving brands who instead have been on the path of building businesses from their core beliefs, values, and purpose.
If the financial crisis taught business people anything, it’s that financial engineering is not a pathway to growth. Some, like Kraft Heinz, still flog that failed strategy. Others are turning in new directions, understanding what they truly want to stand for and why, and integrating the answers to those questions right into everything they do.
Purpose – well defined and authentically executed – underpins meaningful innovations, and is a catapult to sustainable growth and market differentiation.
Also read: How innovation failure creates success
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Article source: https://www.amyradin.com/purpose-is-your-innovation-catapult/
Image source: shutterstock.com
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, official policy or position of GlobalLinker.
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