The Purpose Linked Organization: How Passionate Leaders Inspire Winning Teams and Great Results

Whether you read the tragedies of the antiquity or study the masters of modern literature, the search for the Meaning of Life is the baseline from which most unforgettable art emerges. It becomes unforgettable precisely because our journey to find the Meaning of Life requires parsing, definition, illustration, and the insight of someone who might have progressed further in the journey to find the Grail. The artist, writer, teacher and wise man who triggers understanding in us all becomes the unforgettable one, whose work enters the realm of permanent human knowledge. Alaina Love and Marc Cugnon's book, The Purpose Linked Organization, is such a work.When in the past the search for the Holy Grail motivated armies to crusade into the holy land, today, in a world so small yet so much more complicated, we have to re-conquer the inside and search our heart and soul. In the industrialized nations we have created an environment that threatens the very fabric which allowed progress to take place. Our buzzing work places are devoid of natural environment, children of the inner city do not understand their connection with nature. Whole industries, pharmaceutical products, and of course plenty of literature have sprung up to soothe, coach, numb or treat the effects of this disconnect.Imagine a time when one's place in the environment was set, unshakable and understood. The very idea of reaping extraordinary, short term benefit, and leaving the scene before the long term damages to the company, community, environment become obvious was reserved for the snake oil salesmen. Society reserved a special place of disdain for those types, kept in check through the communal memory. Today, Wall Street espouses the snake oil salesmen as the movers and shakers of the economy. While just thirty years ago, our country was the word's largest producer of textiles, steel, computers, software, cars, airplanes, and much more, we are today right sized, down sized and, yes, out sourced first to Europe and Japan, then Latin America and now China, India, and Indonesia. Almost creating memories of the victors of World War II dismantling German industry, we effectively cashed out - a reverse mortgage in quarterly installments via Wall Street. How could this be made possible? The suspension of memory and corporate knowledge! Let's not look back. That required taking responsibility. Alaina and Marc pointedly hit the bull's eye when emphasizing the long term benefit of a corporate memory, the need for the teachers in an organization. How would we otherwise transfer and keep knowledge in an organization? Can we still dye, weave and knit, build good cars, trucks, airplanes and space ships? How much longer?We right sized the teachers in the last decades, expelled them along with Altruists, Healers and Processors, and replaced them in lopsided teams with generation after generation of Transformers and Builders. Nature and the laws that govern us all did not matter in this change. Every farmer knows that when it rains you cannot make hay. In business, voicing caution for this unrealistic plan might cause you, the lowly processor, to stand in the rain. The high strung manager bails it wet, because when the barn catches on fire he will be long gone. In business school we called that the road to Abilene. GM and City Bank made a freeway out of it.Alaina and Marc suggest that Stillness and Contemplation are an essential pre-requisite to begin the search for purpose. It sounds so easy, yet we all know how hard it is to attain. We used to communicate precisely and sparingly through letters that took months, weeks and days to reach the receiver. Sitting at a desk in quiet and contemplating the argument required time, mental fitness and an ability for completeness. There are no second chances after writing a letter. Read the artful words of Thomas Jefferson and compare their timeless effectiveness with today's instant e-mail communication often devoid of nomenclature, composition, and relevance. Inherently inefficient, companies now have to train their employees to re-learn nomenclature of written communication and mental discipline, precision, but also the ability to read a memo longer than one page. Contemplation and stillness were easier for Thomas Jefferson when he spent six weeks at sea to travel to Paris. Alaina and Marc prescribe twenty-five minutes as a start every day and build up from there.The challenges we face to rebuild a strong and productive economy require first and foremost the creation of a base line. Alaina and Marc provide the instrument for this essential task. What drives us? What triggers motivation? What are our passions? Ultimately, where do we see our purpose? This tool works for individuals, within teams and for whole organizations. The stories of the people that Alaina and Marc interviewed to illustrate each passion archetype provide the flesh and color in their scientific skeleton. Who could not be fascinated with the creator kid who became the editor of National Geographic, or Alden McDonald, the builder banker who almost single handedly restarted New Orleans after Katrina? Wait until you get to know the commander of the Blue Angels! Not all processors are bean counters!The search for life's purpose starts with the individual. Take a look at the greatest generation, our fathers and grandfathers that returned from the Second World War. The shambles they found our world in posed a huge potential for purpose linked activity. They started with a clean slate. My father in law returned from the war and looked for a job. He discovered life insurance and using his passions of Builder and Connector he moved to the very top of his company, retiring after thirty four years with the same organization. He never corrupted his values or doubted his purpose. Neither did the managers and workers that moved up alongside him. I am sure, given the circumstances, he would live the same life again. How many of us in the younger generation can say this? Can one even stay in the same job for thirty years and remain passionate?Once you understand your passions and those of your co-workers and peers, you have created a baseline from which to find purpose. This is just the beginning. The rehab starts with aligning the whole organization according to passion and purpose. Alaina and Marc do not just describe the entry to the purpose journey we all have to undertake, they provide the tools to, as they describe it, "find the right seat on the bus." While the passion profile in itself is a life changing experience, the second part of the book explains its application for the whole organization.The chance we have is to re-make what we used to have: Core values combined with unique skills supported by primary passions. Yes, truth and courage are one of the foundations of trust which in turn is the basis for business! That is the formula for peak performance on an individual, organizational and even communal level. The leaders who internalize this work, who shed the short term materialism for long term, healthy growth, will outperform any other. We can see a glimpse of this new leadership in the green movement, where investors, managers and workers are passionately contributing to a more responsible and sustainable economy. The construction, power generation or organic food industries are seedlings that all need tender loving care before they can withstand the harsh climate of our free market forces. This requires the Conceivers, Builders, Creators, Processors, Transformers, Teachers, Discoverers, Altruists, Healers, and Connectors, Alaina and Marc describe so well. And, most importantly, it requires all of them.Without a doubt, this work Alaina and Marc have created shows the path to a new era of productivity, sustainability and psychological as well as physical health. The book is the beginning, the map that enables all of us to start the journey. With their guidance and our hard work we will hopefully go to a better place, a place where nature coexists with business, personal fulfillment re-gains import, and wealth generation follows without being the sole driver. I am on my way now! Hope to see you on the bus. Thanks Alaina, thanks Marc!

As you read the personality descriptions you find yourself saying, "oh yes, I know that person". It helps to shape how you would approach the person in future conversations. I was surprised by one of my traits upon completing the survey.

The book is thought provoking, well organized, and a true guide to personal fulfillment in the workplace. The authors must have put a lot of time and research into presenting their ideas. I highly recommend this for business leaders and HR professionals from all industries who desire a better understanding on how to capitalize on the concepts of passion and purpose and how they impact human productivity.

Liked

Very good read. The positivity is amazing!

The book was ok. I was expecting more from the online tool. But it was very disappointing.

This book wasn't what I thought it would be about but I'm passing it on to others that may be interested

Great read. Came as advertised.