Committing to a common goal isn’t without its sacrifices, but the results are well worth the work a CLO will have to do to make sure everyone is on board.
by Dov Baron
October 1, 2015
Because of a variety of factors including a changing workforce as well as the demand for companies to be more conscious, transparent and purpose driven, global business is changing at an unprecedented speed.
In business as in life, everything has its cost. Leading a purpose-driven organization is no different. One may feel the desire or pressure to step up, to find and commit to creating a purpose-driven company, but consider these five, real costs:
1. People will have to change. Employees and leaders can’t continue to do things the way they’ve always done them and expect different results. When someone focuses on their purpose, their actions will change, and there will be consequences.
2. Companies may lose some employees — good ones. People generally don’t like change, so when an organization changes, some employees will look for a place they think is more stable.
3. People have to look at themselves critically. If employees have been comfortable with the ways things are, becoming purpose-driven will reveal their strengths and weaknesses.
4. People must become vulnerable. This includes becoming transparent about what drives the organization. Also, purpose-driven leaders must come down from the Ivory Tower and let employees see their authentic selves — strengths and weaknesses.
5. People will have to leave their comfort zones. Employees will question leaders, and leaders will question themselves. It’s OK to wonder if one has made the wrong choice.
These are real costs, but there is another, more important consideration: What will it cost to not become a purpose-driven organization?
