About DEEP PURPOSE

Deep Purpose argues that a revolutionary approach to business does exist, one that delivers game-changing results for both companies and society alike: the serious and deep pursuit of purpose. In this practical book, Gulati argues that companies must embed purpose much more deeply than they currently do, treating it as a radically new operating system for the enterprise. When companies practice deep purpose, furthering their organization’s “reason for being” it can revolutionize how they do business and deliver impressive performance benefits that reward customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, and communities.

Through a series of case studies, Gulati shows how some organizations have found powerful ways of marrying long-term value and short-term performance. Drawing on extensive field research at organizations like Etsy, LEGO, Gotham Greens, Warby Parker, Mahindra, Microsoft, and the Seattle Seahawks, Gulati argues that leaders must change not merely how they conceive of and relate to purpose but also how they execute it.

Gulati not only examines the fatal mistakes leaders unwittingly make when attempting to implement purpose in their organization; he also reveals the secrets of deep purpose companies, including how to:

 

  • Craft and embed purpose to build a high performance organization
  • Identify the four key levers that “deep purpose” leaders utilize to enhance performance
  • Use purpose as the basis for navigating inevitable trade-offs between commercial and social objectives
  • Utilize deep purpose to build an agile organization marked by trust, employee autonomy, and collaboration
  • Build a personalized culture in which employees fulfill their life purpose and align it with the organizations’ purpose
  • Avoid the most common traps that cause purpose to erode over time

Read Deep Purpose, and you’ll discover how a more meaningful and intense engagement with purpose holds the key not just to the well-being of your company, but to humanity’s future.

For an excellent summary of the book, please see this video posted on the Harvard Business School Executive Education page.