The CEO's First Job: Answering ‘Why Are We Here?’

Would it sting to know your team is whispering, “There’s no point to any of this”?

This feeling could be circulating right now, behind closed doors and around the water cooler. Lacking motivation is actively draining your team's energy and desire to give their best every day.

We worked with a finance firm that kept losing people. The founder was confused: he had great benefits and ran a relaxed office with lots of freedom. But his problem wasn't about the strong environment he built.

After the years of grinding, his team was tired and had no bigger reason to keep them going. They weren't being reminded why they were coming to work.

That’s the first question every leader needs to answer in writing:

Purpose | Why are we here?

A compelling Purpose Statement can be your biggest performance multiplier, because people give their best talents for a goal they feel connected to. They want to see themselves in the story.

Xtra Mile Truth: As business owners, we can’t just assume they know it.

Check out the first video in our new Strategic Planning Made Simple series, where we break down how to build a strong Purpose Statement, using great examples from The Container Store and Chick-fil-A.

Take the time to remind your team why their work truly matters, and we’ll look forward to seeing you on the Xtra Mile.

Next week, we move from Purpose to the sticky principles that define your Core Values and serve three big needs: feedback, hiring, and terminations.