There are some fundamental questions in life that are worth exploring.  Do you say tom-ayto or tom-ahto?  Is a medium roast coffee actually better than a light roast? Is private label organic milk as good as the name brand organic milk?  We could have a fun time analyzing and discussing, but generally they’re equivalent or at least minimally different. The same could be said for purpose and mission. 
 
 (Folks who love medium roast.  I feel you- those are fighting words.)
 
A purpose is generally defined as the “why” of what you decide to do. For a person, it might be that they a personal purpose to lessen the suffering in the world. For a company, purpose is similar – essentially it connects them to why they exist.  Nature’s Path Organic Food, for example, has a purpose to “leave the earth better than we found it.”  They put that purpose into action by selling organic products, improving their packaging and advocating for strong organic standards.  Organic agriculture is a powerful way to protect the environment (organic is the answer). Patagonia’s purpose is also very clear: “we are in business to save our home planet.”  And every day they do just that - delivering high quality, low impact clothing to their customers. They even became a perpetual purpose trust to steward their purpose forever. As did Organically Grown Company.

Ok, now to the mission.  A mission is generally how you will implement or operationalize your purpose.  In the case of the person who wants to end suffering, they might decide that their mission is to help reduce hunger in the world.  So, every Saturday they volunteer to pack food at the food bank, or they engage locally with elected officials.  Looking at a company, Vital Farms states that: “we are on a mission to bring ethically produced food to the table and our purpose as a business is to improve the lives of people, animals and the planet through food.”  An inspiring “why,” with a clear mission of bringing great food to people.
 
So, rewinding it all, does it really matter if you mix up purpose and mission?  Is there that much of a discernable difference? 

If you’re happy with your vine ripe toma-hto, then I am happy with my heirloom toma-yto.  What matter is that having a “why” in your life or the life of a business gives meaning and acts as a compass.  We should all know that "why" as much as we should know the "how."  

My personal purpose and mission statement is to heal myself and the earth so that future generations of all species can survive and thrive.  Every day I wake up with that in mind, and so it's easy to get motivated. Why not create your own personal purpose and mission statement?  It's an ally in decision-making and a compass in your back pocket. Who doesn't want that?
 
All My Best,
Brenna



I love to write and share my passion for purpose driven leadership. Download your copy of my Purpose Power worksheet, which is designed to connect you with your own unique purpose.  We can change the world together!

​Why should I care?  I asked myself in my early working days.  I had mostly entry level jobs in retail, although I did one stint at an espresso stand in Seattle in the 1990s.  That was the early days of coffee culture, when pulling espresso was an emerging art and talent.  It was a job for rogues and creatives.
 
The phrase “why should I care” has helped me in my leadership of teams and businesses.  As leaders, when we help our coworkers connect with the reason and mission, we give meaning to the work. Connecting with the mission gives our teams motivation that results in better work.  Organizations that lead with organizational purpose and a mission-driven focus outperform in a world where Gen Z is setting a high bar for the sustainability of the workplaces and for the businesses that they frequent.
 
As a leader, what can you do to implement mission-driven leadership?  Here are some ideas, but I am sure you have more.

• Define your mission, vision and values.
• Reinforce your mission, vision and values regularly in communications.
• Reconnect with the outcomes of the work.
• Show appreciation in alignment with the mission.
• Regularly, as a leader, inspire and challenge yourself to connect with the mission.
• Invite your coworkers to share what the connection means to them.

 
There’s a wrinkle to all of this.  Recently, I took a quick flight to Dallas to join a group of purpose-driven CEOs.  We sat in a circle with our coffees and began to share. After many of us shared what we were doing to advance our purpose, one soft spoken man wearing a button down shirt with his company’s logo emblazed on the left pocket spoke up.  He said: “no matter how mission driven we are, there are about five percent of people who want to come to work, get a paycheck and leave.  That’s ok.”  I think he made a good point.  Not everyone will get on the purpose bus.

All in all though, most people are looking for purpose in their lives.  Implementing a mission-driven approach to work builds intrinsic motivation, makes it easy to get out of bed and makes the day have deep heart and meaning. Who doesn't want that?
 
Al My Best,
Brenna
 
 
 

Photo by Lance Reis on Unsplash