By Phil Preston & Carolyn Butler-Madden What is Success? In today's dynamic business landscape, the drive for business success goes beyond mere profitability. It encompasses a deeper ethos—a higher purpose that not only guides organisations but also galvanises...
Sex, Lies and Purpose Statements
If you're like me you lie awake at night wondering: What is the purpose of a corporate purpose statement? It's a bit like asking: Why does a company need a 'why'? Or where do butterflies go when it rains? The question might be cynical if not for the fact that PwC’s...
Many Canadian Companies Struggle to Communicate Purpose
An analysis of Canada’s top 30 companies shows that the quality of their corporate purpose statements is highly variable. Four companies had excellent statements while one third of the sample were below average, meaning they may not be satisfying the demands of the...
Should Recruiters Be Worried if Their People Lack a Bigger Purpose?
Purpose has evolved beyond the forms of social good that we are familiar with such as giving, volunteering and responsible business practices, to something that is much more strategic and core to success. As Simon Mulcahy of Salesforce notes: Societal issues are...
7 Story Types that Make Purpose Inspiring & Real For Your People
An executive of a large company recently confided to me that they were having trouble making their purpose ‘real’ for their people. In other words, the return on their comprehensive purpose transformation process is nowhere near its potential. This is a common...
5 Things You Need to Know to Create a Great Purpose Statement
Your employees, customers and investors increasingly want to know the purpose of your business and be inspired by it - but how do you ensure your purpose statement is great? Well, it's a mix of art and science. Based on my analysis of hundreds of company purpose...
5 Steps for Putting Corporate Purpose Into Practice
Corporate purpose unlocks performance, resilience and competitive gains, as evidenced by a study of 28 high-performing companies that found ‘purpose’ was central to their ability to overcome declining growth and profitability. Notwithstanding the success of leading...
Many companies can’t explain their purpose
The current pandemic serves as a reminder that the fortunes of business and society are tightly linked and, with the phrase 'corporate purpose’ trending of late, it's worth defining what it is, what features it should have and which of Australia's top-50 companies...








