Recently I’ve written about :
A Purpose Story – I have a dream
and
Who are the Purpose-Driven Leaders
Today, to share some notes on a few things I’ve come to learn about purpose, linking to using my own purpose statement to illustrate.
One, that clarity of purpose, when it comes, allows you to distil it down to something of no more than two or three words. As Da Vinci said “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”.
Two, that Purpose is NOT about making money. Purpose-driven leaders and purpose-drive business can indeed make a lot of money, and that comes as an outcome of following their purpose, never as the driver. Apple is one of the most profitable businesses of all time, yet Steve Jobs led it with one clear purpose from the days he and Woz were working from a garage. Remember, they are here to make a dent in the universe !
Three, that while purpose is absolutely about being of service to others, it is also in service of what you most need as an individual. One feeds the other in a virtuous circle, or, if you think of it in three dimensions, a starting point that spirals upwards out of sight.
So, for me, and always remembering the purpose statement of my late guide and mentor, the great Ed Percival, who encourage us all to “Be More You”, my own purpose in being more me for myself and the world is “To Inspire”.
My favourite business artist is Hugh McLeod of Gaping Void, and the first print I bought from them was this :
