A leader needs a vision in order to properly lead his or her team. Your vision is your mission, values, and purpose (MVP). In order to see your vision come to fruition, you will need to set goals as well. As a business, you will have many goals ranging from revenues and profits to customer service to production goals. Nonprofits might have donor goals, outreach goals, or any number of outcome goals. But more important than individual goals as it relates to community is your purpose.
Author Simon Sinek’s sensational Ted Talk video Start with Why is one of the most watched Ted Talks in existence. The premise of Start with Why is that most companies are “what” companies that say, “This is what we do,” and some are even “how” companies, which differentiates them to some degree, but “why” companies inspire others.
The “why” of your organization is its purpose. Why does your organization exist? What difference does it make in the world? What void would exist if your company or organization didn’t exist?
For example, one of the companies I own is a service company that cares for high-end oriental rugs and natural stone floors for some of Houston’s most prominent citizens, celebrities, and world leaders—names you would recognize. Our purpose is to “protect our clients from unethical service companies.” Many in-home service companies don’t show up on time, they don’t do background checks, and they don’t always tell the truth.
Our purpose is to protect our community from that scenario by being the “knights in shining armor.” That’s our why. That’s our purpose.
What is your business’s why? What is its purpose?
