It's Not What You Sell, It's What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business is Driven by Purpose

by Roy M. Spence Jr., Haley Rushing

Roy Spence has helped organizations such as Southwest Airlines, BMW, the University of Texas, Wal-Mart, the Clinton Global Initiative, and many others achieve greatness by obsessing about one big purpose. Simply put, purpose is a definitive statement about the difference you are trying to make in the world. Purpose is the key to creating and maintaining a high-performing organization, deserving just as much attention as strategy, execution, and innovation. A real purpose can’t just be words on paper. It has to get under the skin of every member of your organization – like Southwest’s purpose of “democratizing the skies” or Wal-Mart’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. This audiobook will help you discover your organization’s purpose, proclaim it to the world, and apply it to everything you do. It will force your organization to address some tough and profound • What do we really stand for? • 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? 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.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction, Buisness, Self Help

8 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Zach Olsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[John Hibbs · Rating 2 out of 5]

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!).

[Bill Yeadon · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Emily Stevenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Thinh Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good message, but very repetitive. I skimmed the second half of the book because It was the same as the beginning.

[Paul Petters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super message but so repetitive.

[Adler Mckenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Sam Motes · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Diogo De · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Larry Bussey · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helping companies find their purposes and understanding why it matters to follow it.

Excellent new concepts to bridge change.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, lots of real world examples.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few new thoughts.