Passion is good. Purpose is better. Part III

The fuel of February is Passion. This entire month we have been discussing why Passion is good, but Purpose is better. Both are necessary elements in any business. But while Passion supplies great motivation, it must be constantly renewed. Purpose, on the other hand, is a perpetual motion machine.

In Part 1 We talked about how Purpose defines your Vision. A company Vision does not provide every detail. The point of seeing your Vision clearly is so that you can believe in it yourself.

In Part II We discussed how Purpose defines who you are. It forms your core Identity as a company–and is the very foundation of your Brand.

Today in Part III, we are going to talk about how Purpose provides the very structure your business needs to grow.

Purpose is like a dot to dot. Once you begin drawing the line in a dot to dot, it is easy to see the next step. Purpose provides a path and a trajectory. You need simply to continue moving forward. Without forward motion, the picture will never materialize, and making progress will be like trying to steer a parked car. Taking in the big picture view, you can imagine the completed image, even though the connecting lines do not yet exist.

Purpose is like Gravity. Entrepreneurs are full of ideas. In fact, it is characteristic for true Entrepreneurs to have more ideas than they have limbs to complete. While a passion-filled life is good, too many passions will distract you from your highest end. Purpose is like the Sun, pulling all the orbs of passion into orbit. It supplies energy and light for every effort. And Purpose will compel you forward, even if the space junk opposes your way.

Purpose is like a basketball hoop. Once your team understands what kind of game you are playing and understands how to win, everyone can instantly see what efforts are helping to achieve the goal. Team members can implement new strategies to achieve more points. Each basket is celebrated by everyone, whether they made the basket themselves or another person did it. Each effort can be analyzed to improve the next effort. Playing without a clearly defined purpose is like playing basketball with no hoop. No one knows if you are winning or losing. The team becomes distracted, tired of running around, demoralized, and disengaged, because no effort really matters. Purpose is an essential tool for leadership. Good leaders share their purpose over and over, keeping team efforts focused, and fueled.

Purpose is cool, like Jazz. A Jazz Chart does not provide every note for the musicians to play. It provides the structure. It provides the key. It keeps everyone together. As long as each person stays within the framework, it allows for infinite variation. Therefore, Purpose is an essential tool for developing and enabling creativity. Like Jazz, Purpose gives everyone a chance to solo and show off their unique strengths, all the while yielding to the ultimate structure. Without this structure, all you have is ego. Purpose allows the perfect balance of individual gift and teamwork.

What is the ultimate goal of your business? When all is said and done, what will you have accomplished? Who will you have helped?

Unless you go beyond producing excellent product, you have yet to start a real business. A real business, and on ethat sustains, has one solitary Purpose––to make a difference in the world.  How will you make a difference today?

That’s this week’s Imagination Hat!