This week’s Pearl of Leadership Wisdom is on….

Purpose

“You better realise that you gotta have a purpose or this place is gonna knock you out, sooner or later.” – from Clash City Rockers by The Clash – Joe Strummer/Mick Jones.

Ideal Homes…

The benefits of having a purpose are clearly demonstrated by my children. When they are purposeful they are quiet (sometimes), resourceful, diligent, hardworking, have the goal in mind and co-operate freely. They achieve their desired result and they are happy and rightly proud of what they have done. Their confidence soars.

Towerblock…

When they have no purpose, they are listless, snappy, irritable, complaining and bad tempered. They goad each other, get increasingly frustrated and are unproductive. Their mental state is poor (and deteriorates). They achieve very little and they are not happy. Their confidence dives.

Just like adult life, only starker because children don’t wear masks.

You gotta have a purpose…

Your business needs to have a purpose, or as it is unhelpfully called, a Mission Statement. It really should be called a Purpose Statement because no one would admit to not having a purpose, or their purpose not being in the forefront of their mind.

Your Purpose Statement should be desirable to you and those who work with you. Feelings toward it should be the number 1 interview question asked of prospective employees.

The Purpose Statement should be displayed prominently, understood and acted upon by all, and seen as an important and useful strategic tool in your business (even if it’s just you in your business).

This place is knocking me out…

But don’t fret if your Purpose Statement is a bit rubbish, or non-existent.

Opportunity knocks…

You have an excellent opportunity. Get your people together or have a meeting with yourself, and define your Purpose Statement. This will give you direction, aid decision making and the key goals will identify themselves. You will have a shared purpose and when you have a shared purpose you’ll be ahead of the game and that’s what leadership is about.

Leaders are ahead of the game.