What purpose-driven leadership means to me | Svein Clouston

I spoke to Paula, Rationale’s Strategy Executive, about my leadership style, and how purpose feeds into my role as one of the leaders of Rationale. We also explored what purpose-driven leadership means to me, what I have to say to brand purpose deniers, and how Rowan and I find leading as a pair. 

What does purpose-driven leadership mean to you? 

To me, the core characteristic of a purpose-driven leader is empathy. As well as being positive, innovative, and flexible, I also think you’ve got to have self-awareness about who you are and what you’re trying to achieve, and an inordinate amount of grit in the face of cynicism around purpose. 

In terms of purpose-driven leadership, I think I bring to the table a belief that work can be a force for good. And this means something different for everyone. For me, it’s a question of doing something that I enjoy and have a passion for but also that the output helps achieve something positive. To that, part of being a leader is showing your team how working life can be. It doesn’t have to be a nine to five drudge. It can be a ‘force for good’, whatever that means for you. 

“I want to encourage everyone at the agency to be curious, to be strategic, to take time to think about what they’re doing and just produce great, great work.”

How does Rationale’s purpose shape your personal leadership style? 

Well, obviously at the heart of our proposition is our ability to define, articulate and amplify what our clients stand for. And I love this because it’s a real strategic look at things, it’s not surface level. We could just be a content agency, but we’re not. What we are particularly good at is strategic thinking, and creative thinking - and translating that into content that achieves something.

I want to encourage everyone at the agency to be curious, to be strategic, to take time to think about what they’re doing, and just produce great, great work. And we want to support our clients to do that too, strategically and meaningfully.

“Brand purpose is about recognising we are on a trajectory where businesses who don’t stand for something are going to miss out. It’s the way the world’s heading, so why not jump on board?” 

What do you find are the benefits of letting purpose guide how you manage your business and team? 

The primary, and often underlooked advantage, of purpose, is talent attraction. The large majority of people entering the job market today want to work for purpose-driven companies. Although opponents of brand purpose will always point to studies that say people don’t care about whether Heinz beans are saving orangutans or whether Colgate toothpaste has a brand purpose proposition, they’re actually missing the mark hugely. 

Brand purpose is about recognising we are on a trajectory where businesses who don’t stand for something are going to miss out. It’s the way the world’s heading, so why not jump on board? 

What would you say to someone who doesn't believe in the value of using purpose to anchor how you lead a business?

It’s largely like the fight against climate change. Some people say it’s a waste of money but if doing something has the possibility for good, why not try? And the same goes for investing in articulating your purpose. There is nothing to lose from it. When done well, it will tell your customers, employees, and potential recruits what you stand for - there’s no reason not to.

You don’t run Rationale alone but with Rowan. How do you find leading as a pair? 

Good question. Between the two of us, I don't think I'd describe us as a good cop, bad cop. We interchange, and compliment each other. Rowan is very ideas-driven. That type of energy and enthusiasm is great, and the day Rowan stops coming up with ideas is the day the agency dies. 

Our friendship has also helped the agency because brand purpose is about having an impact for good. And our friendship is a positive thing for the business, right? It would be really hard to run a business around purpose if we weren’t originally friends, and we didn’t know how the other person felt about where to push the agency. 

As Rationale grows, and you become less ‘hands-on’ with the team, how do you see yourself making sure that the culture of leading with purpose continues? 

It’s a good question because we’re a purpose-driven agency and we work with clients every day to define what they stand for and make sure they ‘walk the walk’. And it makes you think, are we doing that? 

I’m keen that we work hard to set a really strong positive culture so that as we grow, it’s not just Rowan and I leading it and then hoping the culture we establish will trickle down. It has to be a proactive thing from everyone, otherwise, it stands still. The culture needs to exist and continue even if Rowan and I were to leave, or get simultaneously hit by a bus!

Visit www.wearerationale.com to find out more about what we do and who we do it for.