Winning Hearts and Minds: What Purpose-Driven Leaders Do Differently

In the quest to win (and even more challenging, keep) top talent, organizations are turning to the power of purpose.

McKinsey recently released a publication titled “ ‘Great Attrition’ or ‘Great Attraction’? The choice is yours.”

The crux of the piece notes, “If the past 18 months have taught us anything, it’s that employees crave investment in the human aspects of work. Employees are tired, and many are grieving. They want a renewed and revised sense of purpose in their work. They want social and interpersonal connections with their colleagues and managers. They want to feel a sense of shared identity. Yes, they want pay, benefits, and perks, but more than that they want to feel valued by their organizations and managers. They want meaningful—though not necessarily in-person—interactions, not just transactions.”

Realistically, who doesn’t want a more personal, impact-focused work experience? We all want that.

Yet over the last 18-months, that one ‘nice to have’ experience has turned into a ‘must have’ condition for employment. The burning question frontline leaders is now … HOW?!

 We know ‘purpose’ is important. The urgent challenge for leaders is: How, in the face of zillions of action items, back-to-back meetings, and unrelenting change, can a leader be “Purpose-Driven”? 

It can be done, and it’s not as hard as you think. In fact, there are many things you can do in the normal cadence of work that will up the level of purpose and meaning for you and your team.

I’ve been studying purpose-driven leaders for over a decade, ever since I started researching Selling with Noble Purpose in the early 2000s. I’ve spoken with purpose-dirven leaders who work at entry-level all the way up to purpose-driven CEOs.  

Purpose-driven leaders look beyond the tasks, the metrics, and the financial goals to identify the larger impact of their work. There are four things purpose-driven leaders do consistently s that have an outsize impact on engagement and retention. As you read this list, be thinking about how you can infuse these into your day. 

1.    They always share context

 Context is the foundation for engagement, otherwise, work and life are just a series of meaningless events. . Purpose-driven leaders recognize this; when they share a goal, a challenge, or just an action item, they provide the context. They describe why the work matters and who it has an impact on. They explain the ripple effect, in human terms. This shows each employee that they’re doing more than completing their managers ‘to-do’ list. 

2.    They give a lot more freedom

Purpose-driven leaders want to make a big impact, and in their quest to make a difference, they’ll often (correctly) prioritize speed over perfection. Because of that, these leaders tend to give more autonomy to the people on their team.

3.    They open the (metaphorical) door to other teams

Purpose-driven leaders jumpstart collaboration by warmly welcoming other teams to join meetings, brainstorms, and implementations.

What could easily be tense (We have to invite them?) turns into an opportunity (We get to invite them.) This metaphorical ‘open door’ contributes to more creative thinking and better organizational alignment.

4.    They don’t kick the can down the road on tough conversations

 Much has been said about the inspirational narratives of purpose-driven leadership. Yet, I’ve recognized a hidden, yet crucial underpinning this group has in common: they’re willing to have hard conversations.

Purpose-driven leaders know the stakes are high; They want to make a big impact and do it quickly. To make it happen, they campion straightforwardness. There simply isn’t time for anything less. While diplomatic in their approach, these leaders are quite direct in what might typically be beat-around-the-bush conversations. 

Purpose-driven leadership has been proven to pay off in engagement, innovation, and ultimately, the financial performance of an organization. And if that’s not enough, leading a team who wants to make a difference is a lot more fun than leading a team who just wants to make it until 5.  

If you're only giving employees a paycheck, they're likely to leave the first time someone offers them a bigger one. To retain talent, leaders must go further.

The question for leaders is: Are you telling a money story or are you telling a meaning story?