Powered by Purpose

Identify Your Values, Discover Your Purpose, and Build Success for Life!

Scott Deming

• Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781626341258
• eBook ISBN: 9781626341265
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Leadership
• Index: Business

A rousing call to transform your business through the power of values and purpose According to consultant, coach, and speaker Scott Deming, you and your company, your foundation, or any organization you belong to have the power to truly affect change, but too often you focus on policies and procedures instead of values and purpose. And without values and purpose, your power and your ability to influence go to waste or even become destructive.Deming developed a philosophy from his earliest days as an advertising and marketing executive that was based on three core values his parents taught him: honesty, integrity, and respect for humanity. From that foundation, he realized his purpose: to help businesses—big and small, old and new—create lasting, meaningful brands by focusing on what matters most to them and to those they serve. His love of business—the fact that someone can have an idea and use passion, smarts, and hard work to make a go of it—propels his drive to return you and your organization to the right formula for success: viewing values and purpose as the essentials. Powered by Purpose deftly integrates conceptual knowledge with case studies and Deming’s firsthand experiences. The result is an engaging work that shows you how to identify your values, declare your purpose, surround yourself with others of like mind, and then communicate that purpose to the world in a manner laced with emotion, relevance, and intrigue.

CHAPTER 1

DEFINE SUCCESS IN TERMS OF VALUES, THEN LEAD

 

TRY NOT TO BECOME A MAN OF SUCCESS, BUT RATHER TRY TO BECOME A MAN OF VALUE.
–ALBERT EINSTEIN

In the business world, values—at least those unrelated to generating profits—haven’t always had a fair hearing. And that’s unfortunate, because the belief that any values unrelated to profits are irrelevant to business success is just wrong. Nevertheless, this belief has dominated our culture for decades and has redefined capitalism as a singlemindedly voracious moneymaking machine. Yet we all know that businesses are created and run by people.

People have values that form the foundation of their lives. It is these values that drive their decision-making and direct their goals. So why should we believe that business could be immune from values, especially when business is understood as a type of enterprise in which people interact? In fact, business is the perfect environment in which to live out our abiding values. Starting a new business is creative, empowering, and exhilarating. Most of all, it’s an act of hope and belief in yourself and your ideas. But what, exactly, does that mean?

Believing in yourself is not an exercise in stroking your ego. Believing in your ideas is not about being uncritical or avoiding the sometimes-painful process of self-reflection. Instead, believing in yourself is about upholding your core values, the things that make your life meaningful. These values guide the decisions you make about what to do or not to do. We sometimes have a clear purpose in mind but are still unclear about the values that will help us realize it. In that case, the first step toward that goal is to identify those values and work toward understanding how they fit together.

On occasion that means stepping out of one’s comfort zone.

When I was a young man, I was absolutely terrified of public speaking—I mean, utterly petrified! I just couldn’t do it. Sure, I was perfectly at ease with my friends, who thought I was charming and funny. And maybe after a few beers I could also impress some strangers. But ask me to get in front of a room full of people and speak, and forget it! I’d break out in a cold sweat. It was so bad that my worst college memories were not of hangovers or a broken heart but of having to make presentations or give speeches in class.

By the time I started my own advertising agency, I realized I needed to do something about my phobia. I explicitly said, “The only way I’m going to be successful is to be a good public speaker. I need to learn how to do this.” So I decided to practice, to face my fear head-on. I started by volunteering to speak at places like Rotary Club meetings and Chamber of Commerce events. These were generally small audiences; I didn’t go from zero to sixty! Eventually, however, I got comfortable enough to realize that public speaking wasn’t going to kill me. In fact, I realized that having the ability to connect with large groups in a formal setting and communicate an important message with passion and conviction was something of value in and of itself! And that has contributed greatly to a very successful life.

Obviously, overcoming your shortcomings or anxieties to realize a better version of yourself is significant. But sometimes the goal is much bigger: to make the world a better place. Just ask Malala Yousafzi, the young Pakistani girl whose desire to be educated was almost killed—literally—by the Taliban, who, in October 2012 shot her and some of her classmates in the head. Thrust into the spotlight, Malala did not shy away from leading the cause for education for girls across the world. In less than a year, she was addressing the United Nations, and not long after that, the teenager was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Now an education activist, Malala is more determined than ever to convince others that education is a right for all children, wherever they are. In her address to the United Nations on July 12, 2013—her sixteenth birthday—she said, “The terrorists thought that they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life, except this: weakness, fear, and hopelessness died. Strength, power, and courage were born.” All of us are inspired by someone so young who is so clear in her purpose and the values that support it.

Whoever you are and wherever you are, you can start taking steps to create lasting success in your personal and professional life by identifying your values and purpose. Too often, however, the process of articulating those things gets lost in the excitement and details of starting something new, such as a business venture, a volunteer group, or any other new enterprise. The following situation is a good example.

A Values-in-Action Case Study: The Hypothetical “Flower Power” Flower Shop

Suppose, for a moment, that your dream is to open a flower shop. You’ve got the training in floral arranging. Maybe you’ve got a degree in botany or a related field. You’ve worked up a business plan, found a terrific location, have a network of solid suppliers, and even have the business name, Flower Power. But you’re not yet financially stable enough to bring on employees.

At this point in the process, it’s easy to see that the entire business is you. You’re doing it all: the books, the paperwork, the marketing, and working with customers and suppliers. Pretty much all the operational details are your responsibility. And because you have to learn all the ins and outs of your new business very quickly, you have a global view of what Flower Power is, how it works, and what can be done to grow the business.

Whether you realize it or not, you are your business’s leader. You not only have knowledge of the mechanics of running it, you also have something more. If you’re a reflective, thoughtful person, you understand what’s important to making Flower Power a success: the knowledge of your values—the core beliefs about what is important to do and be.

Now suppose after a year or so you were able to bring on your first hire. This valued and trusted employee didn’t have the experience at first to move into a management position, and anyway, the business wasn’t ready so support that. At some point, however, that employee knew how to do the job inside and out and learned enough about management within the company to be considered for promotion. He or she had developed the skills. But what about the values behind Flower Power? Were these shared as well?

If Flower Power is going to grow into everything you dream it can be, you not only have to articulate your values, they have to be stated and lived in a way that permeates the entire business. They have to color every decision, from choosing the materials you use to hiring new employees or taking on certain clients.

Success ultimately comes down to one’s ability to articulate values, create a framework or culture built around those values, and lead others to the mission or purpose.

So let’s consider the first step: Can you identify your values?

CHAPTER 2

IDENTIFY YOUR VALUES

IT IS NOT IN THE STILL CALM OF LIFE, OR THE REPOSE OF A PACIFIC STATION, THAT GREAT CHARACTERS ARE FORMED. THE HABITS OF A VIGOROUS MIND ARE FORMED IN CONTENDING WITH DIFFICULTIES. GREAT NECESSITIES CALL OUT GREAT VIRTUES … QUALITIES WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE LAY DORMANT WAKE INTO LIFE AND FORM THE CHARACTER OF THE HERO AND THE STATESMAN.
–ABIGAIL ADAMS

The dictionary defines value as a principle or quality that is valuable or desirable. I can’t say that is a particularly helpful definition, but it does describe the quandary that many of us face when we try to articulate our values.

It may be that you need to point to some example. It’s sort of like the famous quip from Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart: “I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it.”¹ The “it” he was referring to was pornography, but, really, there are many things we can’t define formally but seem to be able to identify in action with no trouble. That’s odd, isn’t it? Yes and no. It’s strange, but it’s also rather common.

For example, you might not be able to define “good,” as in morally good, but you may be successful at consistently identifying those actions you call good. This is a difficulty facing most of us who try to define values, among other things. I was in a café in Rome when a couple sat down next to me. I overheard them talking and pegged them as American. As it happened, they were from somewhere around Chicago. We started chatting, and since we were all navigating our way in a foreign country, the conversation turned to language.

“It’s the strangest thing,” the husband said with a laugh. “I met someone in a store and was trying to explain ‘cheesy.’ It took me something like five or six times—and not because the guy didn’t speak some English or I didn’t speak some Italian. We were able to communicate fairly well. The problem,” he continued, “was that I had trouble defining it. I know cheesy when I see it and hear it, but for the life of me, I couldn’t explain it!”

This happens sometimes with concepts that imply some kind of critical assessment, like cheesy, and it frequently occurs with more subtle and abstract terms. For example, I could define “value” as a guiding principle of action. But a “guiding principle of action” generally means morally correct attitudes or behaviors. So, the definition of value as a morally correct attitude or behavior doesn’t really get us very far. After all, what does “morally correct attitude or behavior” mean? As we will see, there are quite a few ways in which we can answer that question, and each answer is mainly an intellectual framework within which to understand existing beliefs.

So, let’s go back to some examples. Notice the way each question is answered, and consider whether or not you think the answer defines one of your values:

1. If you make a mistake that you know has or will yield a negative result for your employer, do you tell your supervisor or someone at work?

   a.	Yes. I am the sort of person who does not like negative consequences.
   b.	Yes. I am the sort of person who believes I must be honest in my interactions.
   c.	No. I am the sort of person who protects my own self-interests.

2. Have you ever taken office supplies home with you for your personal use?

   a.	Yes. I am the sort of person who believes it’s okay to take a little from work because I give back in many ways.
   b.	No. I am the sort of person who does not take what is not mine.

3. If your supervisor treats a subordinate poorly, what would you do?

   a.	I would not say anything because I am the sort of person who believes it’s not a good idea to get involved in the business of others.
   b.	I would say something because I am the sort of person who believes no one should treat others poorly.

4. If you see or hear an employee undermining a supervisor’s directions, what would you do?

   a.	I would not say anything, because I am the sort of person who believes it’s not a good idea to get involved in the business of others.
   b.	I would say something because I am the sort of person who believes that undermining the chain of command leads to problems.

5. Have you ever felt as if your employer didn’t value your contributions?

   a.	Yes. I am the sort of person who wants to be acknowledged for what I contribute.
   b.	No. I am not the sort of person who needs to be acknowledged for what I contribute.

6. If you’re late for work, are you honest about why you’re late?

   a.	Sometimes, so long as it’s a good reason. I am the sort of person who doesn’t like to look bad.
   b.	Yes. I am the sort of person who believes that being honest in all my interactions is good.
   c.	Never. I am the sort of person who doesn’t like to look bad. I’ll say whatever is necessary to make my reason acceptable.

The important thing to focus on here is whether or not you believe the reason or reasons given are good ones, because that is often very helpful to the process of defining your values apart from some context. Moreover, the process of defining values helps you get a clearer idea about the sort of person you want to have in your business, whether they are employees, colleagues, suppliers, or clients. All this is part of defining values.

So far I haven’t been very explicit about the values I think are important; I wanted to concentrate on how you identify your values and your purpose. But I do think there are some basics that are essential for anyone’s success. First is respect for other human beings. All people are equally valuable. Second is honesty. Deceiving others may seem like a short-term solution to a problem, but it ultimately harms both you and the person you deceive. If nothing else, deception steals choice. If I deceive you, I am essentially preventing you from making a choice; in my deception, I’m making your choice for you. These are my values and I know without a shadow of a doubt where they come from.

“Know Thyself”

The saying that forms the title of this section was inscribed above the entrance to the ancient temple of Apollo at Delphi, in Greece. I believe this states one of the most important principles for understanding your values.

Bar none, my father was the greatest gentleman on the planet. He instilled in me respect for others—especially women—in ways that showed how ahead of his time he was. “If I ever find out you treated a woman as less than a woman, you’ll have me to answer to,” he often admon...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Prologue
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Define Success in Terms of Values, Then Lead
• Chapter 2: Identify Your Values
• Chapter 3: Determine the Source of Your Values
• Chapter 4: How I Uncovered My Purpose
• Chapter 5: Pursuing Your Purpose Through Critical Thinking
• Chapter 6: Achieving Your Purpose Through Refined Critical Thinking
• Chapter 7: Surround Yourself With People Who Share Your Values, Believe in Your Purpose, and Aren’t Afraid to Speak Their Minds
• Chapter 8: A Culture Flourishes Around Shared Values
• Chapter 9: How to Build a Flourishing Culture Around Your Values
• Chapter 10: Do Only What Supports Your Values and Achieves Your Purpose
• Chapter 11: The Heart of Getting Others Involved in Your Purpose
• Chapter 12: Good, Better, and Best Ways to Get Others on Board to Achieve Your Purpose
• Chapter 13: To Promote Your Purpose, Create Intrigue
• Chapter 14: Your Values and Purpose Can Cover the World
• Notes
• Index
• About The Author