Book 20 | Week 20
Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies
By Ranjay Gulati
Most books in this category follow a predictable arc - they start strong, share a couple memorable stories from industry and limp to the finish line. Gulati's book, Deep Purpose, bucks this trend and ends much stronger than it started.
In a day, and age, when 'Purpose' seems to be thrown around at every opportunity by business guru's and leadership consultants, Gulati takes a deep dive into what it actually means to lead your organization by believing that purpose and profit can co-exist and, as a result, you can not only improve your company's performance, but you can also change the world. With stories ranging from the sports titans Seattle Seahawks, to Pepsi Co., to Microsoft, to Lego - it is hard not to fall in love with the lessons you learn along the way.
One lesson that resonates with me in the book is the story of Ovia Health. They have helped their employees find their individual purpose by living the statement, "Be Yourself, Be Candid, Be Kind." The articulation of why this is such a powerful mantra for the organization is a powerful reminder that we need to create safe spaces for people who work with us in our companies. It is also inspiring to hear the story of Indra Nooyi and her pursuit of purpose at PepsiCo. Her mission to deliver performance with purpose and her aim to transform what was really important with their customers and employees shows that even the biggest, most established, companies can pivot to a new way of being.
Of the 20 books I've enjoyed this year, Gulati's ranks among the top 10% of books I'd recommend to anyone who is a leader... and that's basically everybody!
Enjoy!
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