Guest Post: An Argument for Purpose-Driven Business by Carol Cone and Jackie Murphy

/2 Comments/in /by
Post Views = 35209
image_pdfimage_print

Guest Post: An Argument For Purpose-Driven Business
By Carole Cone, Global Chair, Edelman Business & Social Purpose and Jackie Murphy US Purpose Strategist, Edelman

Purpose = Profit is an equation I have repeated many times in my posts, because I believe that the imperative for purpose driven business is implicit in employee engagement as well as the engagement of all constituents.  Purpose is a social and business anchor that will continue to gain strength and importance.  I am delighted and honored to host, An Argument for Purpose Driven Business by two key members of Edelman, a pr firm-a global constituency of “global idealists, strategy consultants and creative communicators whose purposeful values of quality, integrity, respect, entrepreneurial spiritual, mutual benefits and citizenship are mirrored in accolades from employees and client success stories and communities worldwide.  I want to thank Ms. Cone and Murphy for an excellent post, a great read  that I am honored to host on this blog!  Irene Becker, Just Coach It-The 3Q Edge™ | Helping Smart People and Organizations Lead Forward Smarter, Faster and Happier! 

 

Despite a recent article in Ad Age purpose strategies are here to stay.

© Copyright 2010 CorbisCorporation

While Rance Crain is correct that P&G is experiencing tumult and transition, its current challenges relate to the core of its business: developing products that are truly innovative and desired by consumers, whether in the developed or developing world.  Product innovation is what made P&G great. Creating products that perform and have a social purpose makes them more appealing to consumers, when aligned with performance attributes and personal needs.

Today, marketers are operating in the reality of a highly transparent and hyper-connected world. As well, the communications paradigm has been transformed, shifting power from the powerful few to the all-powerful many.

 

The question is: How do we navigate this new landscape?

We believe the answer is through engagement. And the reality is, for companies and brands to create sustained engagement with their stakeholders, they need to connect in relevant ways, often around social issues.

Relevant Engagement: New Reality for Marketers

Edelman’s Trust Barometer and goodpurpose research, as well as the research from firms like Globescan, all point to the same conclusion: that consumers are now “citizens” of the world and expect companies and brands to have active engagement in social and environmental issues.  From our goodpurpose study, 86 percent of global consumers expect business to place at least equal emphasis on social interests as on business interests.

A great case study of how the interests of society, consumers and business can align for mutual benefit comes from none other than P&G. Its Pampers brand grew exponentially when it moved from a features and benefits positioning to one that focused on becoming a partner with mothers in their child’s development, an education campaign coupled with a highly compelling cause marketing promotion: Pampers One-Pack One Vaccine with UNICEF. This purpose repositioning helped the brand grow 200 percent from its stagnant $3 billion base.

This example and many others (see: Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives, Brita Filter for Good , Warby Parker] demonstrate that when purpose marketing strategies are authentic (to the company/brand) and relevant (to its audiences), they can and do drive sales.

A Purpose-Driven Enterprise

Beyond sales, becoming a purpose-driven enterprise is sound business and brand strategy. Mr. Crain is right that CMOs and CEOs are embracing higher purpose. In IBM’s global CMO survey last year, one of the three major findings was that CMOs believe an organization’s character – how it behaves – is as important as the products/services that it sells.

And, it’s true that leading global companies have recognized the role their organizations play in addressing our collective environmental and societal challenges. As Unilever’s Paul Polman states:

“This is a great time for brands which can provide a beacon of trust for consumers. These days, CEOs don’t just get judged by how well their share prices are doing, but by what impact they are having on society.”

But where Crain errs is in his assumption that this is driven purely by emotion, or reflects a misguided attempt to elevate marketing above selling product.

Placing Purpose in Business Strategy

Yes, a purpose must be clearly defined, authentic and aligned with business strategy. Yes, companies will err as they navigate the uncharted waters of aligning business and societal goals. Yes, there will be those that take shortcuts or fall prey to “cause-washing”, as we have often observed ourselves.  But these quibbles obfuscate the larger truth.

When strategically-divined and smartly-deployed:

  • Purpose enables meaningful engagement with all an organization’s stakeholders, from employees to consumers to communities (see: Starbucks, Chipotle, PNC Bank)
  • Purpose drives growth, demonstrated by Jim Stengel in his book GROW
  • Purpose inspires innovation, compellingly articulated by Michael Porter

And finally, becoming a purpose-driven company can fundamentally transform a business. For this, we only need to look at two of the foremost purpose-driven companies in the world: IBM, viaits Smarter Planet approach, and Unilever, via its Sustainable Living Plan. Both companies have developed and executed their purpose approaches in great depth and clarity. (In fact, Unilever’s Sustainable living Plan should be mandatory reading for anyone looking to understand the threads and challenges of pursuing sustainability in a resource constrained world.)

In the future, where business more than ever before will be conducted under intense scrutiny, winning brands and companies will be those that inspire and engage with their stakeholders.  At the end of the day, when we find brands and companies that align with our values and have a rich back story beyond features and benefits, we will support them.

As content explodes while attention spans grow increasingly finite, and word of mouse and mouth become the primary currency, a true and aligned purpose brand creates and inspires advocates and buyers that neither money nor advertising can buy.

About the Authors:

Carol_Cone_Jaclyn_Murphy

The Business +Social practice at Edelman is comprised of a team of global idealists, strategy consultants and creative communicators helping organizations unleash the power of business for commercial success and societal impact. You Can reach the authors at carol.cone@edelman.Com @carolcone and Jaclyn Murphy at jaclyn.murphy@edelman.com @jaclynemurphy


 


More on Purposeful Business?  YOU Betcha!

Leadership Means Building a Community of Purpose
The Leadership Compendium: Leading Forward in the Face of Complexity and Change
Corporethics, A Guest Post by Pablo Fernandes and Dr. Yamashita
Meaningful Work

 

I am committed to helping smart people and organizations use changes and challenges to optimize and catalyze their potential to communicate & LEAD FORWARD.  Use changes and challenges to improve communication, management, leadership…career success?  Yes!
Helping my clients build their 3Q Edge™ and develop the R-E-A-C-H™ that helps them lead forward smarter, faster and happier is what I do best!

Irene Headshot

Irene Becker | Just Coach It-The 3Q Edge™ | Reach-Resonance-Results
Executive Coaching, Consulting, Training and Keynotes with a 3Q Edge™ 
Face to face and/or virtually by telephone, video conferencing or skype! 
irene@justcoachit.com  Twitter @justcoachit
Tel: (1) 416-671-4726   Skype: beckerirene

 

Women & Leadership: Ten Critical Steps Forward (for women & men)

/41 Comments/in , /by
Post Views = 80864
image_pdfimage_print

Women & Leadership: Ten Critical Steps Forward


A post for women and men who seek to empower stronger and better leadership in a world of unprecedented change, challenges and opportunities.  The future lies in the hands of those who can empower and enable others.  It is time for women and men to light the fire of human potential, of great leadership; doing so starts with women leading forward!  © Irene Becker, Just Coach It-The 3Q Edge™ 

theearth

When we embrace our true potential, and do so with humanity, humility and the desire to serve the greatest good, we rekindle the most important fire of all; the fire of human potential-the fire of leading forward together!  Leadership is a 3Q Equation:  (IQ) Intellect-Strategic Thought EQ (emotions-empathy-self & social mgmt) SQ (values-integrity-humanity).   It is a gender-less equation that must be enfranchised by those who have typically been disenfranchised.  

The writing is on the walls of our lives, our communities, our organizations and our world; it is time for women to lead forward.  And it is time for men to champion their sisters, because our individual and collective hope for a better future lies in men and women collaborating and leading forward together. 

You cannot light a fire with wet wood.  The future lies in the hands of those who can empower and enable the best in others.  I am grateful to the sisters, the women before me who suffered for my human rights, and to those men who had the courage to stand alongside them.  As a woman, as a part of an ethnic minority, as a member of the human race I am grateful to those who suffered before me for the rights and freedoms I have now.

The most important fire we can light is the fire of human potential, and I believe that women have a critical role to play.  It is a role that takes courage, resiliency and the ability to stand tall.  It is the most important role we can play. Most of the world, and most of womankind goes to bed hungry, disadvantaged and beaten in one way or the other.  The strength of those who have a voice and their ability to use their voices to lead forward is critical.  The strength of those who have been enabled with learning to use their knowledge to help others is imperative.  The strength of those who refuse to let go of their faith, hope, humanity, integrity and courage is our hope for a better future.

1. Empowerment is both an internal and external journey that takes time. It is important to stand up, not down; it is important to R-E-A-C-H forward  When the external conditions enfranchise human rights and voice, those who have been disenfranchised must then reset their own internal GPS. We will not go from a mindset of being dominated, to finding freedom and empowerment without resetting our own internal GPS by celebrating the power, the positive contribution we can and will make. What became clear to me, as I grew, learned and evolved was that it takes time for those who have been disenfranchised to step up to the plate.  Laws and society must first welcome them, and then those who have been underdogs need to go through their own metamorphosis where the chains of disenfranchisement and victimhood no longer impeded their own sense of self esteem or abilities.

2. Stereotypes must be challenged, because the pull of the past is strong, and the past will not take us forward. Strong women scare weak men.  This does not mean that we must undervalue our strengths.  It means we must stand up and stand tall. Typically men are taught to overvalue their strengths, and women to undervalue theirs. Stop stereotyping yourself.  See your strengths for what they are, and use your challenges to enable your potential. I believe with all my head and heart that women are in the midst of an important reset, as are other groups who have suffered.  And, it is those who can rise above what was, and see their ability to build a bridge between sisters, brothers, diversity, constituencies…between the human divide before us that will be able to lead forward.

3.  Do not become a victim of your biology, rather the biological imperative that women have to help the world lead forward.  Men are typically wired to control and women to connect. Don’t hide your desire to build a better world under a bushel, celebrate it, ignite it and pass the torch forward.  The same inherent strengths that make most of us great nurturers are what the world needs now more than ever before. Will we survive and thrive with a winner takes all model of leadership?  Will we develop learning organizations, better societies, improved lives for all constituents by continuing models of leadership, governance that no longer work?  Is it not time to celebrate our difference as women, our ability to really champion building organizations that strive and drive collaboration, communication and results for all constituents according to their respective abilities and potential?

4. Purpose = profit.  A whole new world, workplace and marketplace will continue to show us that leading forward means harnessing the potential of human being better, not simply doing faster than ever before. The inequities before us are incredible, but so is our power to lead forward. If we are daunted by what is, we cannot begin to use the very challenges we face to create what can be.  We must stand up, and standing up means rally the full force of our courage and commitment to doing what is in alignment with the integrity, humanity and values that will sustain our world.

5.  Stop competing, start collaborating. Celebrate the biological differences that can make us stronger TOGETHER. The corpus callosum that separates left and right hemispheres in women is thicker than in men.  Yes, the biological imperative that helps most women be mothers, tend to multiple responsibilities also gives us an ability that is now critical to our individual and collective survival and prosperity. While we know now that we can all build new neural connections, and that men can learn to be more whole brained; women are hardwired to do so.  Women need to take the lead in modeling new and better ways of communicating, collaborating and building relationships and in helping our brothers develop these critical skills.  While there are many men who are great communicators, collaborators and relationship builders, many can benefit from growth in these areas just as women can benefit from learning more from men about positioning themselves in ways that help them to lead forward in a still male dominated world and mindset.

6.  Get empowered, re-inspired and use this momentum to inspire others because the traditionally male model of leadership is not working. It is time to develop a new androgynous model of leadership that must be championed by women and men.  The testosterone surge, the brute strength and desire to win above all that has taken us to where we are now, must be transformed.  Women and men are critical to this transformation, and the imperative to work together has never been more important.

7.  Celebrate organizations and male leaders who have the courage, vision and values to champion women leaders and the leadership of those men and women who have been traditionally disenfranchised.  Help men build skills and strengths that have been traditionally ascribed to women, help those who have been traditionally disenfranchised so that they can become 3Q Leaders who can optimize brain power, emotional power and the spiritual strength needed to lead forward with values, vision and action.

8.  Come out of the closet.  Too many women are relationship builders, nurturers, communicators and leaders who want to be part of developing a new way, a better way to lead forward together. We want to make a difference, but we can get stymied by ego, by societal definitions.  Remember…  Purpose = profit.  Celebrate your purpose as a woman to help heal the world.  Yes, I did say heal and I know this is a term that many might frown at…but, take a look around you.  We need to heal as women, heal as minorities because the quicker we can stop looking at what was and use the strengths we have now to build and rebuild what can be, the faster and better we will move and lead forward!

9.  Appreciate your ability to be empathetic and to become a WHOLE human being, a whole brained and whole heart leader.   Men typically have a much higher concentration of testosterone, which is great when aggressive action is needed. Women are typically better at building relationships, collaborating, solving problems and analyzing people problems. Recognize it as one of the greatest challenges AND strengths you have. The importance of understanding how people feel, and using this understanding to appreciate and motivate the best in others is critical.  Model, teach and mentor empathetic leadership and watch it grow.  

10.  It is time to celebrate and USE our differences and strengths as women and men to lead forward together. We will never accomplish this without women pushing forward in a positive way with a voice that must be heard.  The voice of reason, the voice of compassion, the voice of collaboration, the voice of a new type of leadership that can take both men and women forward together.  Our voice is not loud enough yet, but it is getting louder.  We cannot and must not relent in removing the internal and external barriers before us. Our ability, as women, to light a fire of passion, purpose and potential is exponential.  Every time we lead forward, we help others do the same.

The most important fire we can light is the fire of human potential, and I believe that women have a critical role to play.  It is a role that takes courage, resiliency and the ability to stand tall.  It is the most important role we can play. Most of the world and most of womankind goes to bed hungry, disadvantaged and beaten in one way or the other.  The strength of those who have a voice, to use their voices to lead forward is critical.  The strength of those who have been enabled with learning to use their knowledge to help others is imperative.  The strength of those who refuse to let go of their faith, hope, humanity, integrity and courage is our hope for a better future.

When we embrace our true potential, and do so with humanity, humility and the desire to serve the greatest good, we rekindle the most important fire of all; the fire of human potential-the fire of leading forward together!

More on Women?  More on Leadership?  YOU Betcha!

Women Leading Forward
Against All Odds
Extraordinary Women Interview
Great Read Excerpt and Review: Dare-Dream-Do

Leadership Tips & Tools
Winning the Race with Wolves
Men and Women Leading Forward:  Building 3Q Leadership™
The Leadership Compendium

 

I am committed to helping smart people and organizations use changes and challenges to optimize and catalyze their potential to communicate & LEAD FORWARD.  Use changes and challenges to improve communication, management, leadership…career success?  Yes!
Helping my clients build their 3Q Edge™ and develop the R-E-A-C-H™ that helps them lead forward smarter, faster and happier is what I do best!

Irene Headshot

Irene Becker | Just Coach It-The 3Q Edge™ | Reach-Resonance-Results
Executive Coaching, Consulting, Training and Keynotes with a 3Q Edge™ 
Face to face and/or virtually by telephone, video conferencing or skype! 
irene@justcoachit.com  Twitter @justcoachit
Tel: (1) 416-671-4726   Skype: beckerirene

 

What Type of Leader Are YOU?

/0 Comments/in /by
Post Views = 14280
image_pdfimage_print

What Type of Leader Are You?
A guest post by Tyana Daley, University Alliance,
a Division of Bisk Education Inc.

 Irene Becker, Just Coach It-The 3Q Edge™ | Reach-Resonance-Results
Helping smart people and organizations lead forward smarter, faster and happier.
Leadership, Communication and Career Solutions with a 3Q Edge™ 


Understanding our intrinsic and learned leadership styles is critical to leadership training, growth and development.  Part of effective leadership is being able to adapt one’s style in alignment with one’s constituency and audience while keeping values, vision and mission in tact!  I am delighted to share this excellent post about Leadership Styles, by Tyana Daley! 


What Type of Leader Are YOU

Leaders of all kinds share many recognized and documented traits, such as decisiveness and good communication skills. Not as commonly acknowledged, however, are the countless distinctions among various types of leaders. Knowing exactly what kind of leader you are—and what kind of leader your workplace calls for—is vital, as it may make the difference between getting the job done well and barely getting by.

As many as nine different varieties of leaders exist, depending on the mode of categorization, from the hands-off delegative leader to the domineering autocratic leader. The primary means of distinction most psychological typologies employ is quality and frequency of engagement with team members.

Likewise, the most appropriate leadership style for any given project or profession is just as dependent on the team members’ needs and expectations as those of the leader. Although you may find that a certain style comes most naturally, integrating select features of other leadership styles into yours can help you excel in your position, as well as identify and work effectively with your team and other leaders.

Here are a few leadership styles and their respective traits. Consider your own leadership style and if incorporating any of the traits from another style might help you in your current position.

  • Autocratic: As the name suggests, autocratic leaders rule the roost with utmost control. Also called authoritarian or directive leadership, this particular style is characterized by unilateral decision-making and complete adherence to established protocol. A good fit for employees who flourish under ample supervision, the autocratic leadership style is ideally suited to high-stakes projects that must be accomplished quickly and with absolute precision. Military hierarchies are prime examples of autocratic leadership in action. 

Because autocratic leadership can transfer into simple bossiness or micromanagement if not carefully regulated, taking the time to educate and listen to employees is critical. If team members understand the need for a regimented workplace—perhaps there are safety or budgetary concerns that warrant strict policies—they’re much more likely to accept autocratic authority, while leaders who remain receptive to employees’ ideas and feedback, even if they can’t be implemented, can help offset any brewing resentment.

  • Consultative: A consultative leader retains the autocratic leader’s right to make autonomous decisions but, unlike the autocrat, draws on team members’ expertise and opinions before doing so. This leadership style is particularly useful in results-oriented processes; employee input is only valuable in so far as procedures are flexible.

 Challenges that merit creative group strategies are also prime opportunities to apply a consultative leadership style. Leaders who know how to distill great ideas from large amounts of team member feedback are consultative in nature, as are those who recognize each employee’s strengths and contributions publically.

  • Participative: The most egalitarian of all types, participative, or democratic leaders function as a fellow team member, often privileging employee ideas over their own. They tend to facilitate conversation and encourage collective decision-making, rather than deliver instructions and delegate tasks. Process-oriented work that requires innovation, creativity and synergistic team efforts can be accomplished via participative leadership; employees with complementary aptitudes and areas of expertise work well in teams helmed by participative leaders.

The erasure of the traditionally rigid distinction between supervisor and supervised is both the primary attraction and potential pitfall of participative leadership. Employees who are not personally invested in the company or project or who need direct supervision can undermine a participative leader’s efficacy, even unintentionally. Responsible, trustworthy and knowledgeable team members are critical to the success of this leadership style.

  • Delegative: Also known as a “laissez-faire” leader, the delegative type is the least engaged in the team’s routine functions. “Laissez-faire” roughly translates to “allow to do,” and that’s precisely the purpose that delegative leaders serve in the workplace. Team members are expected to draw on their own initiative and knowledge to accomplish tasks, solve problems, establish processes and produce quality results. The delegative leader’s role may, in fact, be as minimal as providing resources and remaining available for occasional consultation.

Only the most motivated and high-performing teams are suited to a more laissez-faire style of leadership. New or inexperienced employees tend to flounder without more engagement, and even the most competent workers may benefit from direction when undertaking new or high-value operations. Delegative leaders can eliminate any resentment over their absence by explaining its cause, particularly if it involves exemplary employee performances.

Great leaders of various types exist across all industries, and there are no hard and fast rules for selecting a leadership style. What comes naturally is important, but experimentation and adaptation are equally critical. Pay attention to your team’s performance under a variety of styles while developing your own, and don’t over-focus on yourself. Great leaders aren’t measured by their own achievements, but by those of the people they lead.

About the Author/Guest Blogger, Tyana Daley
Tyana Daley

Tyana Daley  writes about various career-related topics including organizational leadership for University Alliance, a division of Bisk Education Inc. Contact:  http://www.villanovau.com  

More Posts and Guest Posts on Leadership?  YOU Betcha AND some Great READ Book Reviews and Excerpts!

Guest Posts:
3 Reasons YOU Need a Real Leadership Program by Kyle Lagunas
Corpo-Ethics by Pablo Fernandez &  Dr. Y. Yamashita, 
When Leaders Get Out of the Way by Scott Mabry

 

Posts:

Winning the Race with Wolves:  Ten Steps to Stronger Personal and Business Leadership
The Leadership Compendium:  Leading Forward in the Face of Change & Complexity
Lead Forward Training:  Building the 3Q Leadership™ Skills YOU Need Now

Great Read Reviews & Book Excerpts!
Managing with a  Conscience by Frank Sonnenberg
The Power of Communication by Professor Helio Fred Garcia
Business at the Speed of NOW by John. M Bernard

 

I am committed to helping smart people and organizations use changes and challenges to optimize and catalyze their potential to communicate & LEAD FORWARD.  Use changes and challenges to improve communication, management, leadership…career success?  Yes!
Helping my clients build their 3Q Edge™ and develop the R-E-A-C-H™ that helps them lead forward smarter, faster and happier is what I do best!

Irene Headshot

Irene Becker | Just Coach It-The 3Q Edge™ | Reach-Resonance-Results
Executive Coaching, Consulting, Training and Keynotes with a 3Q Edge™ 
Face to face and/or virtually by telephone, video conferencing or skype! 
irene@justcoachit.com  Twitter @justcoachit
Tel: (1) 416-671-4726   Skype: beckerirene