Description

Purpose shows up in the grandest and simplest of moments—whether facing the end of life with a loved one or answering the question, “So, what do you do?” In this episode, I share a deeply personal story of loss, explore how identity and purpose are intertwined, and show how leaders can harness the power of a shared “why” to unite teams and unlock extraordinary performance.

From Pixar’s baristas to NASA’s janitors, we’ll see how purpose transforms ordinary roles into extraordinary missions.

Key Takeaways

1. Purpose is identity. People define themselves by what they do—and even more deeply by why they do it.
2. Leaders must create a shared why. When personal purpose aligns with team purpose, individuals move in the same direction with greater commitment.
3. Shared identity fuels belonging. Pixar, NASA, the Marine Corps, and Google all exemplify how clarity of purpose creates a powerful, unifying culture.
4. Charters matter. Teams without a documented goal or purpose drift; teams with written goals (like Bell Labs with the transistor) achieve breakthroughs.
5. Hearts and minds must align. True performance comes when people feel both intellectually and emotionally connected to their work.

TL;DR

Purpose is the bridge between personal identity and collective achievement. Leaders who help their teams connect individual “why” to a shared team “why” capture both hearts and minds—and unlock limitless potential.

When someone asks you, “What do you do?”—how do you answer? And if I asked you, “Why do you do it?”—what would you say?

Resources Mentioned

• Daniel Goleman, Working with Emotional Intelligence
• Daniel Coyle, The Culture Code
• Richard Hackman, Leading Teams

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