This document provides guidance for business leaders seeking to align their company's purpose and strategy. It discusses defining an authentic purpose statement that reflects the original intentions for starting the business. A purpose is not a goal or marketing tagline, but rather the core reason the business exists. Ten principles are outlined for finding and expressing purpose, such as ensuring it is memorable, does not change, and reflects the company's focus. Case studies of independent consultancy Independents United and UNESCO are presented. The document concludes with a checklist to help evaluate if a defined purpose statement is authentic and guiding.

1. Within People
A Guide to Finding Purpose

2. 2
How do you align your business to an authentic
purpose?
We help leaders around the world connect to their
purpose, focus their business and deliver growth.
This booklet was designed for leaders who want to
find purpose but don’t know how to get started. And
to help guide our clients in articulating their purpose
in the most powerful way.

3. Purpose
Our reason for existing - the “why”
It reflects our passion
And is the role we play in our vision
What it should be:
Authentic
Simple and memorable
It's who you are already
What it isn't:
A goal or something to move towards
A catchy, punchy tagline
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4. A Framework for Purpose
How
Our Values
Describes our unique way of doing things
Why
Our Purpose
The north star of the brand
What
Our Proposition
Describes the offer
The behaviours of our culture.
A way of connecting to our customers and
consumers.
The core expression of the business.
Drives vision of commercial success and
culture.
Defines our space to own in the landscape.
Understanding of the value created by the
business.
What
How
Why
Simon Sinek's Golden Circles provide a simple framework to align your purpose and
values to the products & services your business offers.
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5. Isn’t the purpose of business to
make money?
No. Profit is an outcome of a business that is run
well. It is not the source of why your business
exists.
“Any successful CEO will confirm that you can’t finance a business just with money; you
also have to finance it with a passionate vision, love of purpose, faith in people, a
willingness to serve, and a desire to make a difference. Money alone cannot win success.
Money is a reward for playing the game well; it is not the game.”
- Robert Holden PhD
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6. Finding Purpose
Ten principles to guide you
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7. Principle #1
Looking for purpose
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Purpose is within
you
It is your intention and belief - not
an objective or a goal
Purpose isn't about finding a new
space to own or a brand positioning.
It's who you have always been. It's
something to reconnect to, not to
move towards.

8. Principle #2
Looking for purpose
Purpose is powered
by the past
It can be found in the original authentic
intention of why the business was
started. It just might have gotten lost
over time
You start a business to solve a problem.
That solution becomes a product or
service, and soon you talk more about
what you do than why you do it.
Go back to the start to find out why.
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9. Principle #3
Looking for purpose
Your purpose never
changes
It is the core of your brand
Your products and services might
change over time, but your purpose
always stays the same.
It is the north star that guides your
business and your people - so it
needs to be clear to be powerful.
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10. Principle #4
Looking for purpose
It is aligned to your
vision
Purpose is the role we play in the
vision of where our business is
going and the world around us
A vision is a rich picture of our
imagined future. Our purpose
guides us towards the dream. But it
isn't a strategy or a plan - it's the
passion that keeps us motivated.
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11. Principle #5
Looking for purpose
We believe in it and
it inspires us
Leaders use the purpose every day to
inspire their teams to grow. It is a filter
to making the important decisions
We get meaning from acting on our
intentions. Through the ups and downs
of running a business, our purpose is
always there to help us find the right
opportunities and make authentic
choices.
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12. Case Study: Independents United
Independents United are a consultancy
that help transform businesses by making
revolutions happen.
Frank Lampen & Shilen Patel founded their
company on doing things differently to solve
creative problems. They see how their own
business is run as being essential to living
their purpose. One proof of this is operating
a revolutionary flat business structure where
everyone is an owner.
Visit www.iu-hq.com to find out more.
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13. Principle #6
Expressing purpose
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Your purpose is
memorable
It is simple, free of jargon, rolls
off the tongue, and probably less
than ten words
It might even feel a bit generic.
You don't need a copywriter to
make it punchy - it isn't a brand
strapline or slogan.

14. Principle #7
Expressing purpose
Purpose isn’t a goal It isn't a a target so never has a
number in it. And it isn't about
being the best or being number one
Purpose drives our goals, so it
cannot be a goal itself. It has no
deadline or shipping date because
it's why you do what you do every
day.
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15. Principle #8
Expressing purpose
It must pass the
Goldilocks test
It is not too big ("change the world",
"make things better") and not too small or
detailed that it describes your product &
service
“Change” is part of every business so it has
no place in your purpose. If you do use this
word it must be qualified - change for what
reason? And saying "positive change" isn't
good enough (who sets out to create
"negative change", apart from Darth Vader?)
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16. Principle #9
Expressing purpose
It does not change
for your audience
Your purpose will inspire others
when it is authentic to you
Your purpose should not be
rewritten to attract funding or
investment, or for different
customer segments. You have
one purpose.
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17. Principle #10
Expressing purpose
Your purpose must
reflect where you are
putting most of your
energy
There should be one word in your
purpose statement that really
sums up the context for your
business
This word answers the question of
the problem you are solving, and
what would be missing if you didn't
exist.
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18. Case Study: UNESCO
For 70 years Unesco has been tackling the
challenge of sustainable development
through a network of places around the world
that aim to reconnect people and nature.
Yet this purposeful organisation was lacking a
sense of identity around their programme that
would be common and authentic, no matter
where they were in the world. Finding purpose
has meant listening to stakeholders and
removing the complexity to get back to what
was at their core.
Check out the Unesco Brand & Story Toolkit on
Slideshare
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19. The Purpose Principles
Is your purpose authentic to you?
Does it reflect the original intention of the business?
Will your purpose guide the brand forever?
Does it align and guide your vision?
Do you believe in it wholeheartedly?
Is your purpose memorable?
Is it free of targets and numbers?
Can it pass the Goldilocks test?
Is your purpose relevant to any audience?
Does it reflect where you put most of your energy?
Use this checklist to help you find purpose - you should answer YES to every question!
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20. Visit us to find out more:
www.withinpeople.com
Within People is an international
partnership that helps people to
find their purpose and grow