Purpose changes everything, and you need awareness too

The importance of purpose is increasingly discussed in modern companies because it is clear that it is not an abstract concept, but a tangible force that can transform entire organisations, influencing strategic decisions, corporate culture and the personal growth of employees. Through interviews with managers and business leaders within the “Purpose Pioneers Series” format, Darren Rudkin, founder of The Mind At Work, explores how purpose is changing the perception of work and dynamics in companies, from strategic decisions to day-to-day interactions.

Awareness and experience: the keys to success

Understanding how purpose can influence business decisions is essential for any modern leader. This awareness allows us to create a connection between our personal and professional lives, making decisions more authentic and targeted: “We need awareness and experience,” explains Federico Frattini, Dean of POLIMI Graduate School of Management, “We are not typically aware of the mechanisms that take place in our minds when it comes to making decisions in the workplace. We often leave our emotions and values outside the door when we walk into the office. Understanding and experiencing how purpose affects us is essential to gaining the strength that enables us to face the challenges of our daily lives.”

Purpose works at a deep level and for that reason, you need to be careful how your state can influence the effectiveness of business decisions. In this way, you can act more purposefully, increasing team cohesion: “When we are focused as a team,” comments Carsten Egeriis, CEO of Danske Bank “in a state where we are aware of purpose, energy levels, efficiency, effectiveness, how others see us, it is unparalleled. We have more energy, but if it were easy, everyone would do it. Rather, it’s something you have to invest in continuously, in which you can improve more and more.” 

Hermann Niebuhr, an artist who expresses himself through his paintings, offers a parallel between art and business. Comparing corporate decision-making to artistic creation, where each choice influences the next, a well-defined purpose allows decisions to be made that not only solve immediate problems, but also open up new possibilities. “Paintings”, he explains, “are a series of decisions. A clear purpose allows us to make expansive decisions that solve future problems and create new opportunities.”

Expanding possibilities: the role of purpose in decision-making

In his interviews, Darren Rudkin notes that business leaders are well trained to focus on the problems of different entities and are not as ready to focus on themselves and understand how connected they are in achieving a goal. “On many occasions,” adds Caoire Blakemore, Group Director A.F. Blakemore & Son, “it’s also a question of being really honest about what the purpose is, because sometimes it can be a very limited purpose. It’s about being responsive but also being aware of what your purpose is and how it relates to the greater one.”

What is becoming increasingly clear is that purpose is a catalyst for positive change that goes beyond the simple company mission, deeply influencing decisions and organisational culture. Through awareness and connection with their purpose, companies can not only improve their performance but also create a lasting and significant impact in the communities in which they operate. Gary Lubner, former CEO of Belron International, emphasises the importance of being aware of your inner state in order to operate in line with your purpose. Being responsive requires discipline and self-awareness, the ability to listen to yourself and the responsibility to recognise that our state depends not on the outside but on ourselves. “You can’t be in a responsive state all the time,” concludes Lubner. “You have to try to work out what state you're in. If you are actually disciplined and able to listen to the clues, understand the reasons for irritation or impatience, then you can have leadership.” In a constantly evolving corporate world, purpose is not only a strategic asset, but a true engine of internal transformation.

Purpose as a cornerstone of management training

Purpose is not just the engine of businesses and institutions. Its key role is as one of the cornerstones of our entire educational portfolio and it is central to the International Full-Time MBA. The Masters and courses that POLIMI GSoM offers have in their DNA the awareness of the growing role within the company of managers, entrepreneurs and leaders who are called upon not only to lead companies and organisations in the best way by satisfying economic results but also by helping to shape a better future.