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It's Not What You Sell, It's What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business Is Driven by Purpose
Who is Roy Spence and what makes him the ?Pied Piper of Purpose??
Over the last thirty-five years, Roy Spence has helped organizations such as Southwest Airlines, BMW, the University of Texas, Walmart, the Clinton Global Initiative, and many others achieve greatness by getting them to obsess about one big purpose. With purpose as the North Star, employee engagement is higher, competition is less threatening, customers are more loyal, and innovation flows. It?s the secret to developing a more fulfilling work life as well as a healthier bottom line.
Simply put, purpose is a definitive statement about the difference you are trying to make in the world. As Spence writes, ?It?s your reason for being that goes beyond making money?and it almost always results in making more money than you ever thought possible.? It?s not ?soft stuff,? as some might scoff. Especially during times of great economic uncertainty, purpose is the key to creating and maintaining a high-performing organization. It deserves just as much attention as strategy, execution, and innovation.
A real purpose can?t just be words on a piece of paper. It has to get under the skin of every member of your organization?like Southwest?s purpose of ?democratizing the skies? or Walmart?s of ?saving people money so they can live better.? If you get it right, your people will feel great about what they?re doing, clear about their goals, and excited to get to work every morning. No organization is too big or too small, too niche or too mundane, to benefit from a clearly defined purpose.
Spence and coauthor Haley Rushing share their insider insights and case studies to help you discover your organization?s purpose, proclaim it to the world, and apply it to everything you do. This book will force you to address some tough and profound
*What difference do we want to make in the world?
*What do we really stand for?
*Do we have purpose-based leaders in key roles?
*Do our employees feel like what they do matters?
*Would our customers miss us if we ceased to exist?
*Do we bring our purpose to life everywhere we can?both internally and externally?
Spence?s hard-won lessons will change the way you view your job, your business model, your leadership style, and your marketing. They will help you make money, make a difference, and?with a little luck?make history.
Over the last thirty-five years, Roy Spence has helped organizations such as Southwest Airlines, BMW, the University of Texas, Walmart, the Clinton Global Initiative, and many others achieve greatness by getting them to obsess about one big purpose. With purpose as the North Star, employee engagement is higher, competition is less threatening, customers are more loyal, and innovation flows. It?s the secret to developing a more fulfilling work life as well as a healthier bottom line.
Simply put, purpose is a definitive statement about the difference you are trying to make in the world. As Spence writes, ?It?s your reason for being that goes beyond making money?and it almost always results in making more money than you ever thought possible.? It?s not ?soft stuff,? as some might scoff. Especially during times of great economic uncertainty, purpose is the key to creating and maintaining a high-performing organization. It deserves just as much attention as strategy, execution, and innovation.
A real purpose can?t just be words on a piece of paper. It has to get under the skin of every member of your organization?like Southwest?s purpose of ?democratizing the skies? or Walmart?s of ?saving people money so they can live better.? If you get it right, your people will feel great about what they?re doing, clear about their goals, and excited to get to work every morning. No organization is too big or too small, too niche or too mundane, to benefit from a clearly defined purpose.
Spence and coauthor Haley Rushing share their insider insights and case studies to help you discover your organization?s purpose, proclaim it to the world, and apply it to everything you do. This book will force you to address some tough and profound
*What difference do we want to make in the world?
*What do we really stand for?
*Do we have purpose-based leaders in key roles?
*Do our employees feel like what they do matters?
*Would our customers miss us if we ceased to exist?
*Do we bring our purpose to life everywhere we can?both internally and externally?
Spence?s hard-won lessons will change the way you view your job, your business model, your leadership style, and your marketing. They will help you make money, make a difference, and?with a little luck?make history.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
46 people are currently reading
661 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 30, 2011
I think he is right, good businesses focus on purpose before how or what. Lots of good quotes and examples. The case studies at the end are a little redundant.
April 27, 2011
The book has some interesting points but is pedantic. The goal is to show that every business should strive for more than just profit (duh!).
November 17, 2017
Loved this book. My only critique is I wish the author had read it instead of the professional voice-over specialist. I have watched many presentations of Roy Spence and part of his charm is the casual delivery. Most authors should never read their own books, this one is the exception.
While you may never have heard of Spence, he is definitely one of the great ad men of the last half century. He started in the early days of Southwest and spent 17 years flying around with Sam Walton.
Where Spence differed is he went after a niche of companies that were built to achieve a purpose besides making lots of money. His list of clients amazed me.
This book was written a decade ago and he has retired and started The Purpose Institute. All the things he learned from working with some of the great leaders he now incorporates into a company that can better the world.
Not bad for a guy who dressed in his finest tie-dye t-shirt and neat ponytail when he went to the bank for his first load. A most enjoyable book.
While you may never have heard of Spence, he is definitely one of the great ad men of the last half century. He started in the early days of Southwest and spent 17 years flying around with Sam Walton.
Where Spence differed is he went after a niche of companies that were built to achieve a purpose besides making lots of money. His list of clients amazed me.
This book was written a decade ago and he has retired and started The Purpose Institute. All the things he learned from working with some of the great leaders he now incorporates into a company that can better the world.
Not bad for a guy who dressed in his finest tie-dye t-shirt and neat ponytail when he went to the bank for his first load. A most enjoyable book.
June 6, 2023
Some great examples of how purpose-driven business can create more and lasting impact. I appreciated the varied examples from different industries. The message was conveyed clearly and thoroughly, but sections and topics were getting repetitive by the conclusion of the book.
November 7, 2017
Pretty similar to 'Start with why' in terms of the ideology but a bit more difficult to read. Still worth a read though if you want to read some of the most interesting stories and examples.
December 9, 2020
Very good message, but very repetitive. I skimmed the second half of the book because It was the same as the beginning.
November 23, 2024
Super message but so repetitive.
March 3, 2014
This is an amazing audiobook. I am a small business owner (17 years), and as I've survived the economic downturn, I've started "re-learning," and came across this audiobook at my library. Little would I realize how much the concepts Roy Spence articulates would change my entire business. Re-aligning my time, resources, and priotities into my clearly defined "purpose," my business is growing rapidly, and I'm seeing the fruits (very quickly) bear out from the principles set forth in this gem of an (audio)book.
December 30, 2014
This book is about finding the compelling purpose for your company and then keeping that purpose at the center of everything you do. It will give the employees the drive to do excellent work rather than just punching the clock. It gives many real life examples such as Southwest, Walmart and others that have done this and by staying true to their purpose have developed raving fans and a committed employee base.
March 22, 2011
I completely related to the idea that a company should base each decision on how it will affect its ability to achieve its purpose. A purpose driven organization must base all its marketing on its purpose, as well as ensuring all interactions with employees, customers, and others outside the organization are in line with the purpose and communicate the purpose.
June 19, 2012
I can't claim to have completed this one. The narrator is so robotic, that I couldn't get through the second disc. The content was interesting, but not enough to overcome the robot reading the thing. The foreward narration by the auther was great, he should have narrated the entire book, and I'm sure it would have been much much better.
February 18, 2013
A guide book for leaders willing to make a change, willing to make a difference and succed.
Showcases stories about purpose-driven companies that experienced a big shift on its potential by unleashing the power of purpose.
A must-read, my guide book.
Showcases stories about purpose-driven companies that experienced a big shift on its potential by unleashing the power of purpose.
A must-read, my guide book.
July 6, 2010
Helping companies find their purposes and understanding why it matters to follow it.
Excellent new concepts to bridge change.
Excellent new concepts to bridge change.
September 22, 2010
Good book, lots of real world examples.
November 26, 2010
My fourth of fifth book on this subject recently. It's good, not great but good. It does help decisions making and keeping you consistent.
March 21, 2009
A few new thoughts.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews