You have a purpose—now what?

In the six years we have been asking CEOs what purpose means to them, it’s gone from being niche to norm—with its adoption and perceived value steadily growing.

This year, sentiment has moved even more positively towards purpose-driven business, supported by an ever-growing body of evidence showing that businesses who embrace purpose as a strategic lever outperform those businesses who don’t. Even against challenging business headwinds, the majority of CEOs we surveyed could see a clear link between purpose and a wide range of positive business outcomes.

So why is it still so hard to connect purpose’s perceived benefit to business action?

One of the key reasons is because the concept of purpose has become complicated. (Not) used,
abused and confused—not to mention hijacked by marketers, brand managers, and sustainability professionals along the way. Purpose was historically seen an output, a "thing" in its own right.

An input to better business

Purpose has finally found its rightful home in the C-Suite, and it needs a new approach to leverage its true value.

Operationalizing purpose in the business is as much a mindset shift as it is a physical action. It’s no
longer an "output" but an "input" to better business. Purpose should be the lens you apply to your
existing business strategy—not a separate action.

At Brandpie, we created a model to help CEOs and their leadership teams systematically work
through where their purpose can take them. Though it appears simple, its strength lies in asking tough questions, ideating at the fifty-thousand-foot level, prioritizing for impact, and establishing clear senior ownership based on those insights.

By thinking of purpose as an input to existing activity, it has a strategic seat at the table in every conversation. It’s not an add on or a "cost" to the business. It’s not something complex or scary. It’s a simple change of behavior.

This is the fastest way to close the gap between believing in the power of purpose on business outcomes, and actually driving them from the center.

Think about your own purpose

— How is it enabling you to grow, align your teams, and create clarity? Is it working in unison with your ambition and strategy?

— How is it enabling you to mobilize action, change behaviours, and empower your people?

— How is it enabling you to shift perceptions, win hearts and minds, lead your industry, and embrace new opportunities and sources of value?

— How is it enabling you to advocate for what matters, engage new stakeholders, and solve challenges in new ways?

Purpose operating model