Why Purpose Gives Your Team Staying Power

As a leader, you know that your team is your most valuable asset. To truly motivate them and unlock their potential, though, you need to give them a sense of purpose. Purpose gives them the ability to face challenges head-on and to stay committed to your shared goals on the way to achieving long-term success.

While purpose is essential, however, teams don’t just develop it naturally. Instead, purpose requires intentional cultivation and nurturing. It must be defined and developed in your team’s culture to become truly powerful.

Defining purpose

Purpose is the reason why your team does what they do. And we’re not talking about profits or performance targets, even if you’re in corporate America. Across organizations and industries, purpose is really about making a meaningful difference in the world. It gives your team a sense of individual and shared fulfillment and makes them feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves.

Why purpose matters

It's also really important for attracting, motivating, and retaining your team. Over the last three years, purpose has taken on new importance for millions of people, as the stress of the pandemic, racial unrest, and more sent stress levels to historic highs, contributing to soaring rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout. People either found purpose—in pandemic projects, with new employers, and in new roles—or they learned that they need to find it, whether that’s with you or not.

Research shows the power of purpose and its influence on performance. According to Gallup, an employee’s personal connection to the work is the leading indicator of strong performance. That’s because, as the firm’s Workplace blog notes, “Ownership emerges when work is personal—when an employee can claim, ‘It’s mine.’”

The magic starts to happen when an employee recognizes and internalizes organizational purpose and can connect their individual contribution to progress. Purpose gives your team staying power for these key reasons:

Motivation. With a clear sense of purpose—and connection to it—your team is more motivated to work toward your goals. They feel a sense of personal investment in the outcome. Motivation is crucial especially during challenges or setbacks, as it helps your team stay focused on the bigger goal.

Resilience. Purpose also helps your team bounce back more easily (and quickly) from the inevitable setbacks. This is because when they feel connected to purpose and know that their contributions are valued, they are more likely to keep pushing forward even when things get tough.

Loyalty. Purpose is a powerful tool for building loyalty within your team. Playing an important role in working toward something meaningful can go a long way toward retention. At a time when employer loyalty is declining, loyalty is especially important to decrease turnover and hold onto your talented, experienced people.

How to cultivate purpose on your team

This is where leadership coaching and training centered on purpose comes in. The right partner can help you identify your team’s purpose and develop strategies to strengthen it through key steps including:

• Defining your team’s purpose. This starts by identifying where you are in day-to-day operations and looking at where you want to go. Understanding the bigger picture that your team is working toward and any existing gaps are important first steps.
• Communicating purpose. Once you have defined team purpose, consistency in communicating it is key. Make sure everyone understands why their work matters and how it fits into the bigger goal and take time to celebrate successes (both large and small).
• Promote a sense of ownership. Developing a connection between purpose and individual contribution is essential. Team members need the autonomy and trust to make decisions that advance you all toward your purpose. They also need to feel like they have a stake in what happens.

Purpose gives your team staying power through fueling motivation, fostering resilience, and building loyalty—all of which are key to long-term success. As a leader, it’s up to you to cultivate your team’s purpose and connect them with it. When you define it, communicate it, and create a sense of ownership, you’ll create a team that is truly unstoppable.

Ready to find your team’s purpose—and use it to strengthen their staying power? We can help. Purpose-Fueled Leader helps create thriving cultures by equipping leadership teams with tools and training that increase employee engagement, effective communication and emotional intelligence. Learn more at Purpose-Fueled Leader

https://www.purposefueledleader.com.