I see a rising number of posts in my social streams about purpose, mainly corporate purpose. More and more companies of any size are called or invited by their customers, investors and consultants to define and embrace a purpose.
The purpose of something is the reason for its existence. It is why that thing is done or created.
I believe there are a few misunderstandings when it comes to purpose.
First of all, the purpose can be anything, including making an awful lot of money or oppressing people. So, when we ask companies for their purpose, we want to hear that they have a higher purpose, one that drives them to create a positive impact in the world.
The second big misunderstanding is that you don't choose your purpose. It chooses you.
It is the driving force that guides all your choices and actions, particularly the unconscious ones.
Finding the purpose of something means subtracting all the layers of conditioning and belief until you connect with the source from which that thing started.
So, when leaders, managers and experts sit down in meetings to find their organization's purpose, there's a high chance they won't do an authentic quest into their deepest motives. Instead, they will look for something that makes them, their investors and their customers feel good.
Only to wonder why that powerful purpose statement does not resonate with people inside and outside the organization.