Dr. Douglas A. Wilson is a New York Times best selling author, senior advisor to CEOs, and a thought leader on corporate purpose. He is the acting Chair and Co-Founder of The CEO Leadership Alliance - Orange County, which is a working group of over 50 Orange County CEO’s working collectively to help build a thriving OC for all.
Purpose driven companies are defined by 3 principles:
The purpose of business is to do both well and good.
Great leaders and great organizations excel at providing their people, their customers and their communities both economic and social value.
Aligning an enterprise and its people to achieve a worthy purpose is not just the right thing to do, but is also the most effective way to achieve sustained high performance in an increasingly unforgiving competitive environment.
Our country is facing a massive talent shortage.
Automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies are creating a digital economy that is disrupting industries where people have traditionally found good jobs, from office administration and agriculture to customer support and food service.
More than 60% of the world’s labor force is employed in occupations that could be partially displaced by automation and digital technologies by 2030[1]. The economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has further decreased demand for many customer-facing jobs. Research predicts that more than 10% of the total labor force in major economies will have to switch occupations in the next 10 years.
At the same time, we have seen increased demand for roles in healthcare and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As of January 2022, there were 10.9 million open jobs in the U.S. Between the increased demand for emerging tech jobs and open positions from the Great Resignation, companies are scrambling to fill jobs – and finding it difficult to attract qualified candidates.
Podcast
Lessons Learned: Proven Leaders Speak on Leadership
Springtime and renewal are synonymous. We are in the midst of a corporate Spring in America. Companies are stepping up to their shared sense of responsibility for the positive impact they can make in the world. Enlightened leaders are re-thinking how they can make life better for all stakeholders and believe the long term impact is greater profitability.
An enlightened strategic leader has a lot to think about. Seriously changing how the organization can positively impact the health and well being of planet earth is often one priority that is on the “nice to think about but not critical” list. Thankfully, this mindset is changing rapidly. But it’s not easy.
Interview with Dick Gochnauer, Retired CEO, United Stationers, Inc. Dick attributes much of the company’s success to crafting a powerful purpose for the company that engaged all stakeholders. The motivation, commitment, and creativity that resulted from the effort has left United Stationers, now Essendant, in a strong position to continue as the dominant player in office products distribution.
Recent Blog Posts
Articles
View a three minute clip of Doug speaking to the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference.
TED Talk
Doug was an early member of the TED community and spoke in Monterrey, CA. Click play to watch Doug's talk on human rights and technology in developing countries.
Establishing and operating from an anchor of a “living purpose” creates a distinct competitive advantage for companies and a mechanism to engage your stakeholders. For example, customers who are aligned with a company’s brand values deliver twice the share of wallet (47%) as customers who aren’t aligned with that same brand (23%) .
Articulating an inspiring, overarching purpose statement is an important first step in helping your purpose take hold. While it’s not enough on its own, it can be the connective tissue or jumping off point to clarify and integrate your organization’s values, cultural norms, and long-term strategy.