Authentic Purpose Drives Growth. Here’s How to Create It.

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PA Consulting’s purpose statement is: “We use the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future.”

That might not give you chills, but it lights me up! Because my personal purpose statement is: “Catalyzing transformation to maximize human potential.”

Having that alignment between the company I work for and how I want to exist in the world makes me feel amazing.?

But PA doesn’t just splash their purpose statement on their website. We live it. It’s the first thing we talk about at every meeting. It’s the first slide in every PowerPoint deck. It’s our guide for making tough decisions.?

On Tuesday’s livestream, I shared why this kind of alignment is so key for disruptive growth and how to define your company’s authentic purpose.

Let’s start by getting clear on:

What exactly does authentic purpose mean?

I love a good purpose statement. The problem is, companies often treat it as this beautiful vision of how they want to live and work in the world—and that’s it. It’s not authentic.

But our latest research shows that companies who have an authentic purpose at their core are more effective.

So what does it mean to have an authentic purpose?

One of the definitions I found meaningful was that an authentic purpose explains your reason for existence. It answers the questions: Why are you here? Why does your organization exist? What kind of impact do you want to have in the world? Why do you ask customers to buy your products and services?

It’s all about why. And truly living that why and purpose every single day.?

Here are some companies who do just that.

Every company has different values and different stakeholders. And every company can choose to be real and authentic, no matter what issues are important to them.

That’s what I love about these companies: They don’t just say their purpose. They are their purpose. They act on it, they live it, and it’s perfectly aligned with how they see themselves.?

A Swedish outdoor company called Hagl?fs is all about encouraging and enabling their customers to go outside. They realized they hated overconsumption, especially Black Friday, so they decided to raise their prices to discourage people from shopping on that day. Eventually, they said, “You know what? We’re closed on Black Fridays. We’re going to go outside instead!”?

Dove’s Real Beauty campaign has been around for a decade. They said, “Beauty should be a source of confidence, not anxiety.” So they started highlighting people’s real beauty—not fashion models with “perfect” bodies. Their revenue grew from $2.5 billion to $4 billion in 10 years because they made customers feel confident in their own beauty.

Another outdoor company, Patagonia, is invested in building the best products without causing unnecessary harm. They launched Worn Wear, a program that lets people buy or swap used Patagonia clothing and learn how to repair and recycle their gear so it lasts as long as possible. Which is absolutely aligned with their mission to build stuff that lasts for decades!

Buffer is a software company that publishes its employees’ salaries online. If they’re radically transparent about how they run their company, how they work, and how people are paid, they believe they can recruit talent in a competitive environment—and attract people who share their values.?

And Chobani is a yogurt company with a unique perspective: “A cup of yogurt won’t change the world, but how we make it might.” The company invests in their communities, education, job training, and their employees’ health and well-being. Their investments align with their focus on their stakeholders: their employees and their communities.?

These five examples alone show that authentic purpose and how it ties back to your stakeholders can look really different. There’s no one way to do it.

But why does it matter?

• 68% of consumers believe their purchasing power can force corporations to change. (source)
• 86% of people expect CEOs to speak on societal issues. (source)
• 57% of consumers are loyal to brands that commit to addressing social inequalities. (source)
• A third of consumers 25 and younger cite sustainability as a top criteria when buying personal care products. (source)
• 52% of consumers would recommend an authentic brand to others, and 49% would pledge loyalty to a brand they see as authentic. (source)

The reality is, authentic purpose drives growth.

One study looked at companies that are growing 10% faster than their competitors. What did they find? That 93% of those companies are talking openly about their KPIs and how they’re measuring up. They’re not just saying, “Here’s our purpose.” They’re saying: “Here’s our purpose. Here’s how we live it and measure it. And here’s how we’ll hold ourselves accountable.”

Okay, so how can you build authentic purpose into your company’s DNA?

Try these four concrete actions to help you create authentic purpose.

So many companies have purpose statements but only include them as a footnote in PowerPoint presentations. Here are four concrete things you can do to create an authentic purpose that’s meaningful, credible, and actionable:

1. Create your why. Why does your company exist? (Hint: It has to be bigger than quarterly profits!) What impact will you have? One way to think about this? Examine your stakeholders: customers, employees, community, the planet, the supply chain, the value chain. How do you deliver to and engage with your stakeholders? What’s your purpose in the context of the people you serve?
2. Identify your how. How will you make your why happen? It’s not enough to simply zero in on your why; you have to get clear on the how, too. What decisions will you make? What small steps will you take? What actions will impact how you deliver?
3. Align your KPIs. What key performance indicators will you report on consistently? What information will you make public—internally and externally? How will you use that data to create accountability? Again, it’s not about hitting your financial goals. It’s about being transparent about what’s working, what’s not, and how you’re going to bridge that gap.?
4. Live your purpose every day. How will you make your purpose something that’s front and center? As a leader, how will you infuse your purpose into everything you say and do? Will you create space to talk about it? Start meetings with it? Put it on the first slide of all your presentations??

Remember, purpose isn’t just a cost. It’s a driver of growth. When everyone in your organization is aligned on why you exist, who you’re serving, the metrics you’re measuring, and how you’re delivering, you’re more focused on what you want to accomplish and the impact you want to have. And when your purpose is authentic, your ability to drive change increases exponentially.

In two weeks, I’ll be back with another livestream looking at how to create compelling content for your personal LinkedIn presence. I hope you’ll join me for another great discussion on Tuesday, July 12 at 9 am PT.?

Your Turn

I’d love to hear how you’re using purpose in your organization. How—and when—are you practicing authentic purpose? I’m also curious if there are any companies you admire, ones who you think are doing an amazing job sharing their purpose in a very authentic way. Let me know in the comments!