At Igniting Purpose-Driven Leadership, Jim Nevada, executive consultant, coach, and entrepreneur, suggests that the essential element that many leaders are missing and that distinguishes successful leaders from the rest is a focus on purpose. In his book, he reveals how leaders can stay focused on their purpose and that of their organization and find the right people to bring that purpose to fruition.
Much more than a book on personal or business development, Igniting Purpose-Driven Leadership is packed with research on leadership, successful businesses, and the philosophies of the world’s leading companies and their CEOs. The extensive notes and index show that Nevada has done its research, and the tone and content of the book reflect that it has not only done well, but made it digestible by providing an entertaining and informative read for anyone who wants to become a A better. Leader.
Many successful companies appear on Igniting Purpose-Driven Leadership, including Google, Amazon, and Southwest Airlines. Nevada shows that from the beginning, the founders of Google have always operated their business with one purpose in mind. Others, like Southwest Airlines, understand that people should be the foundation of their business. Nevada states that “the future of a company lies in the creative minds and hands of its people.” Consequently, creativity is a fundamental skill and purpose for companies wanting to succeed in what Nevada calls the “Age of Human Capital.”
One point Nevada makes me especially appreciate is the need to focus on abundance and not have a scarcity mentality. Too many times we hear people talk about how difficult it is to find good help, but the truth is that there are many qualified and capable people and often the problem is that companies do not realize the full potential of their employees. Nevada proposes: “If our goal is to obtain the highest level of energy and creativity from our people, then we must put aside our limiting beliefs and realize the unlimited potential in all. From there, we can be more effective in making the change. . from a scarcity mentality to an abundance. ” Nevada encourages hiring people even when we are not sure what role they can play if they fit the company perfectly and are creative. Such purpose-driven hiring will result in employees who are dedicated to the company’s purpose and will enjoy their work. It’s a way of moving away from short-term thinking that focuses on results first and instead acting from a long-term, people-first approach. At the same time, don’t hire the wrong people. Nevada advises you, “Take your time and bear the cost to make sure your new hires are the right fit, even ridding the business of high performers, just because they’re out of alignment.”
And once you have those people in place, treat them very well. I commend Nevada for their comments on how some companies do not treat employees or even customers well. For example, Wal-Mart, which in the past was applauded for treating employees well, receives a black mark against it for having Black Friday sales that have caused chaos and even deaths and injuries. He notes that several companies are now closing their doors on Black Friday and also offering better prices to customers throughout the year. This discussion alone was worth the price of this book, and hopefully the options Nevada outlines will become part of the retail future.
All of these examples reflect purpose-driven thinking, as described by Nevada, but can also be described as future-focused thinking. Nevada points out how leaders and successful companies not only solve existing problems, they solve problems that don’t yet exist because they can anticipate them and then find creative solutions for them. One of my favorite quotes from the book illustrates this point. Henry Ford once said, “If I asked people what they wanted, they would have told me faster horses.” Nevada advocates purpose-driven, future-focused thinking that anticipates what people will want before they know it themselves.
Finally, and there’s a lot more I could say about this book, but best to let you read the rest on your own, I loved it when Nevada discussed how purpose-driven leaders and companies aren’t afraid to redefine their purposes anymore. themselves. For example, I think Henry Ford, if he were alive today, would be proud to know that the company he founded a century ago has recently made it public that it is no longer considered an automobile company. Rather, it is a company focused on “improving mobility solutions around the world.” As Nevada puts it, “This is a huge change for one of the world’s largest automakers. It requires Ford not only to reinvent how it presents itself to the foreign market, but also how it operates internally.”
It’s time for more companies to follow in the footsteps of Ford, Southwest Airlines, Google, and other leading companies that have clearly defined purposes and recognize their employees. As an example, we often hear how Millennials don’t have the work ethic of previous generations, but Nevada says the data suggests that nearly 90 percent of Millennials want greater career development opportunities and greater responsibilities, but only a third feel your responsibility. organizations are making full use of their skills and experiences. Something is wrong with that image. Fortunately, the tools and information provided in Igniting Purpose Driven Leadership can help change that.
This book is one to keep alongside other modern business classics like Jim Collins’s From Good to Great. But before you put it on a shelf, read it! And then you will probably repeatedly pull it off the shelf. It is driven by that purpose.