In a previous blog I advocated a purpose-led approach to leadership, but in developing an organisations purpose does it have to do ‘good’ and if so ‘good’ for who?

What and how people are motivated has been a subject of study for many years; an example of this written 350BC “Everyone always acts in order to obtain that which they think good” (Aristotle) which was further expanded “Every art and every enquiry and similarly every action and choice is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that which all things aim” (Aristotle).

So what can we learn from this today in developing a purpose for our organisation, function or team? Particularly if we believe, as I do, that people always act to obtain something they think good for them personally or a communal good they associate with.
To expand on the assumption that people act for a good, even a thief when he steals may be doing evil but it is for their own wealth and they see this wealth as good! What is maybe less clear is the balance between personal or communal, group good. However I would argue that generally we are communal animals, living and working in groups, communities, tribes and teams for many thousands of years, so we are part of the community and the community is part of us; we are inherently societal beings. Thus for teams and organisations, we are looking at people who have already by choice or circumstance found themselves part of a team, a community, with the co-dependancies this entails. So every purpose should have a good group outcome, but how much emphasis is needed on a personal good?
In the workplace the balance between the individual and wider good is likely to depend on the starting point. Where there is already a strong, bonded high performing team and a new purpose is redefining a new or different path the focus of the purpose can be different from when you are building a new or binding a weak team together.

But the strength of any purpose will be its ability to have a link from personal good through team, department, organisation and society.

So as you are considering your own organsations purpose how clear are the links to a good outcome at all levels, how well do you understand them, how well are they communicated? As a result how does the purpose grab the people, the organisation, is it demonstrated is everyones every action and choice, how committed to it are they, do they love it?

In part 2 of this blog I will show a real example of where I have applied this approach……