A clear corporate purpose is ennobling. It inspires stakeholders to recognize you are doing something unique. It will allow you to attract the best talent and people that believe in what you are doing. A strong purpose gives you a financial advantage over other companies.

So how do you create a clear purpose at your company?

I delved into this in my interview with Dick Gochnauer, the former CEO of United Stationers, Inc. (now called Essendant) and current Board member for the Center for Higher Ambition Leadership. I’ve watched Dick produce some amazing results throughout his career and was excited to hear about his experiences around purpose.

In my reading, I seek out stories about companies and executives working to build high performing companies and a better world. Here I’ve curated several articles from recent months that caught my attention. 

The Olympics never fail to inspire my soul at what a human being can accomplish through focus, intensity, and continual learning. For instance, the performance of the U.S Women’s Gymnastics team this year was nothing short of remarkable. The team’s 8.209 point victory by the United States over Russia is the largest margin of victory at a major gymnastics meet on record. In the four previous Olympics this century, the margin of victory has not exceeded 1.5 points. They also became the first American women's team to win back-to-back gold medals at the Olympics. 

Overall, the U.S. won a record breaking 121 medals in Rio - surpassing the last record of 110 in Beijing. What is clear is that the U.S. not only has good athletes, but a support system in place that nurtures, trains, and builds medal winners.  

I’m currently working with several companies and their senior teams who are also remarkable. As with the U.S. Olympic organization, they know how to produce great performers and sustain high performance over time. In the case of each company, the competitive ground is shifting around them with disruptive strategies and new market entrants. But I see that these teams possess three clear competencies that will set them apart and make them winners.