It's Not What You Sell, It's What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business Is Driven by Purpose
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Who is Roy Spence and what makes him the “Pied Piper of Purpose”?Over the last thirty-five years, Roy Spence has helped organizations such as Southwest Airlines, BMW, the University of Texas, Walmart, the Clinton Global Initiative, and many others achieve greatness by getting them to obsess about one big idea: purpose. With purpose as the North Star, employee engagement is higher, competition is less threatening, customers are more loyal, and innovation flows. It's the secret to developing a more fulfilling work life as well as a healthier bottom line.Simply put, purpose is a definitive statement about the difference you are trying to make in the world. As Spence writes, “It's your reason for being that goes beyond making money—and it almost always results in making more money than you ever thought possible.” It's not “soft stuff,” as some might scoff. Especially during times of great economic uncertainty, purpose is the key to creating and maintaining a high-performing organization. It deserves just as much attention as strategy, execution, and innovation.A real purpose can't just be words on a piece of paper. It has to get under the skin of every member of your organization—like Southwest's purpose of “democratizing the skies” or Walmart's of “saving people money so they can live better.” If you get it right, your people will feel great about what they're doing, clear about their goals, and excited to get to work every morning. No organization is too big or too small, too niche or too mundane, to benefit from a clearly defined purpose.Spence and coauthor Haley Rushing share their insider insights and case studies to help you discover your organization's purpose, proclaim it to the world, and apply it to everything you do. This book will force you to address some tough and profound questions:• What difference do we want to make in the world?• What do we really stand for? • Do we have purpose-based leaders in key roles? • Do our employees feel like what they do matters? • Would our customers miss us if we ceased to exist? • Do we bring our purpose to life everywhere we can—both internally and externally? Spence's hard-won lessons will change the way you view your job, your business model, your leadership style, and your marketing. They will help you make money, make a difference, and—with a little luck—make history. Publishers Weekly Every business should strive for more than just profit; it should aim to become an organization of great purpose-pledged to make money, make a difference and make history, cheerleads Spence, chairman and CEO of ad agency GSD&M. The author supplements uplifting homilies with case studies (starring his clients) to argue that a high-concept purpose can bring vitality to any company. Southwest Airlines, for example, worked hard not just to lure customers away from older airlines but to offer affordable air travel, "democratizing the skies." Likewise, Wal-Mart brings goods that were once distant luxuries to rural families. Highway littering was rising by 17% per year in Texas until an enterprising politician appealed to state pride with the "Don't Mess with Texas" campaign. Spence argues that people work harder and more joyfully when they believe they are part of something larger than themselves; he speaks enthusiastically about employees turned into company evangelists and the power of purpose-based leadership. This is a positive reminder of the private sector's potential in making a difference in the world. (Feb.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction 1Pt. I Purpose Principles1 What Is a Purpose and Why Should You Want One? 92 Discovering Your Purpose 343 Articulating Your Purpose 48Pt. II Building an Organization That Makes a Difference4 Find the Thrill! 655 Have the Will! 776 Ignite the Passion! 92Pt. III Becoming a Leader of Great Purpose7 Stewards of Purpose 1118 Purpose-Based Leadership Principles 132Pt. IV Bringing Your Purpose to Life in the Marketplace9 Fulfilling the Promise of the Purpose 155Corporations10 How Purpose Can Take You Higher 16711 How Purpose Can Make You Better 18912 How Purpose Can Accelerate Your Momentum 20113 How Purpose Can Set You Free from the Sea of Sameness 216Membership Organizations14 How Purpose Can Move You from Discounts to What Counts 233Nonprofit Organizations15 How Purpose Can Create Common Ground on Higher Ground 24316 How Purpose Is Activated Through Insight 255Higher Education17 How Purpose Can Create a Grassroots Movement 26718 How Purpose Can Explain the Unexplainable 275Sports Organizations19 How Purpose Can Tee You Up to Be Exceptional 283Summary20 Key Principles from the Book 293Acknowledgments 299Notes 303Bibliography 307Index 309
