As organizations start to face hard and necessary choices, the deep conviction that what we are doing truly matters—in some ways more than ever—allows our teams to remain grounded, make business decisions with empathy and integrity, and build resilience.
Purpose isn't a platitude: It is the key ingredient to both personal happiness and team performance. Companies that operate with a clear purpose outperform the market by 5-7% annually. (1) Moreover, people who work with a sense of purpose are 125% more productive at work; 64% more likely to find fulfillment at work; 50% more likely to become leaders; and 51% more likely to have stronger relationships with co-workers, customers and clients. (2)
People and human systems are varied and complex, so there is no simple recipe for generating a sense of purpose. In our experience, however, the following elements are essential: authenticity; context; commonality; and practice.
- Authenticity
A sense of organizational purpose does not emerge from hollow slogans and inspirational fluff. Purpose emerges from observations that are both authentic and specific: a precise and descriptive articulation of an organization’s reason for being and the stakeholders it aims to serve. At Silverchair, we articulate our purpose as: “Delivering scholarly and scientific knowledge to the world.”
Our people, therefore, can connect the quotidian functions of their jobs to broad and tangible human impact. I have heard diverse members of our community assert that we disseminate the research that makes medical breakthroughs possible, that we empower scientists to cure devastating illnesses, that we facilitate global scientific collaboration in the service of humanity.
Our mission is refracted through the prism of each person’s unique lived experience, lending us both focus and resilience. Organizations with a clearly defined and internalized purpose demonstrate 40% higher levels of employee engagement and retention (3), so when organizations face difficulties, that same sense of meaning and purpose produces the resilience necessary to persist. (4)
- Context
Purpose-driven leadership does not mean eliminating financial constraints or difficult decisions. Rather, it transforms the approach to these challenges. Faced with such difficult choices as budget and staff reductions, leaders far too often cower behind corporate euphemisms. This both insults the intelligence of their people and leaves them feeling disempowered and paranoid.
One of the most valuable things a leader can do is connect the dots. That includes financial realities, market conditions, organizational priorities, and why things are happening. In a vacuum, people make up stories—and those stories tend to be scarier than the truth. Context helps people understand and reorient to where they are and where they may be going, even if they don’t love the direction.
Extreme transparency in those leadership narratives both preserves trust and reaffirms the alignment of people with an organization’s purpose. I am told that most people would be shocked by the level of transparency Silverchair embraces in reporting financial details to its community. I am also told that some people choose to tune this information out. Regardless of what our people choose, the point is to give everyone access so that they can, if they want, understand how the business is doing and have agency in their decisions about how they contribute to its health. - Commonality
Purpose-driven organizations understand that creating and preserving culture is a core leadership function—not just the province of human resources. This means each and every person in the organization must feel individually accountable for the conditions of their community.
At Silverchair, we are devoted to our core values, in particular “Listen and assume positive intent” and “Speak your mind; be honest and constructive.” It is these two cornerstones of our culture, above all others, that set the tone for who we are and how we relate to one another. People in our community have the courage to speak up, and they are also committed to creating and preserving psychological safety for their team members. As a result, our people openly question assumptions, express concerns, vent frustrations, and process uncertainty without fear of repercussion. Culture is born out of how we respond to disagreement, how we recognize alignment with values, and how we frame progress—not just in financial metrics but in tangible evidence that we’re fulfilling our mission. This is why, when our company gathers for its monthly Silverchair All-Staff Summit (or “SASS” meeting), we provide not only a detailed review of our financial health, but also space for the accomplishments of our teams and their members to be recognized and celebrated. - Practice
Purpose isn't achieved through proclamation—it requires consistent practice. Leading with purpose demands clear communication, active listening, and values-aligned decision-making, particularly when things are hardest.
This is why Silverchair continues to invest in the development of conscious leadership among our executive team members. For nearly three years, we have been studying the principles of conscious leadership under the guidance of a coach who challenges us to be foster self-awareness, accountability, and trust, creating a culture defined by candid communication, aligned purpose, and collaborative decision-making. This is not just an investment in our executive team. Recognizing that the attitudes and behaviors of our most senior leaders inevitably radiate into the organization, this is a deliberate investment in our capacity to show up for Silverchair in the manner our people expect and deserve.
Our conscious leadership work is also a humble commitment to continuous self-improvement. The work is never done, and our fully disclosed practice helps create the conditions for other members of our community to feel comfortable embracing and owning their growth.
Purpose-driven leadership doesn't guarantee organizational success, and it certainly does not make an organization immune from having to make hard choices. But purpose provides an enduring framework for navigating complexity with integrity, building resilience through shared values, and creating sustainable organizations that not only survive, but learn and grow from volatility
In the words of Simon Sinek, “People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” (5)
Notes:
- McKinsey & Company. (2023). Purpose: Shifting from why to how.
- Imperative. The Workforce Purpose Index. New York: Imperative, 2016. Available at:
https://www.imperative.com/research - Quinn, R., & Thakor, A. (2018). Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization. Harvard Business Review.
- Frankl, Viktor E. Man’s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy. Boston: Beacon Press,
1963 - Sinek, S. (2009). Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action