The Power of Purpose

The three different perspectives when building a cathedral.

Morning Leaders,

I have recently been reading an exceptional book by David Schwartz called The Magic of Thinking Big, and he touched on the importance of our thinking towards our work and the impact of this. So in the spirit of this, I wanted to talk about the power of purpose and why it’s important that our work has meaning. Not just for our people but for us too.

First of all, a quick story that the book touches on in a much more condensed version to set this up which you may have read before. The story is about three bricklayers and how they approach their work.

After the great fire of 1666 that leveled London, the world’s most famous architect, Christopher Wren, was commissioned to rebuild St Paul’s Cathedral.

One day in 1671, Christopher Wren observed three bricklayers on a scaffold, one crouched, one half-standing and one standing tall, working very hard and fast. To the first bricklayer, Christopher Wren asked the question, “What are you doing?” to which the bricklayer replied, “I’m a bricklayer. I’m working hard laying bricks to feed my family.” The second bricklayer, responded, “I’m a builder. I’m building a wall.” But the third brick layer, the most productive of the three and the future leader of the group, when asked the question, “What are you doing?” replied with a gleam in his eye, “I’m a cathedral builder. I’m building a great cathedral to The Almighty.”

You’ll see from this story that the 3 bricklayers all had the same job and the same environment but with completely different perspectives and thinking towards their work. The first bricklayer saw his work as a Job. The second bricklayer saw his work as an occupation and the third bricklayer saw his work as important with a larger vision attached.

We see this in our organisations all the time where we have people that have lost their sense of direction or identity and don’t feel a sense of purpose in their work. It’s just another day at the office (or work from home).

4 ideas to instil a deeper sense of direction and purpose.

1) Purpose - the third bricklayer had a purpose, he was able to attach a higher meaning to the work he was doing. Although his contribution was small, it was significant in helping towards the bigger goal of building the cathedral. He felt empowered, motivated and fulfilled. This is something we should be nurturing as leaders, speaking to our people and ensuring they understand their purpose and the value that brings to themselves, the organisation and the customers.

2) Importance - the work your team is doing is important and we often don’t spell this out enough. A company doesn’t deliver on its mission, or have an incredible culture or have raving fans unless everyone is contributing and in harmony. Everyone plays an important role in the success of the organisation. Ensuring your people feel important and they know the importance of the work they’re doing is crucial to the organisation’s success is key.

3) Attitude - because the third bricklayer had a purpose and felt he was playing an important role, he felt optimistic and empowered to do his job. When people feel like they are living their purpose, values and their environment has been set up so they can contribute, they’re generally happier, they want to do more and achieve more.

4) Vision - if people don’t know what the future state is or where they’re going, how do you expect them to feel empowered? Ensure your people have a plan, know why the company exists, what’s its core purpose and what does its future self look like.

The story of the three bricklayers is an example of why it’s important for leaders to help their people find meaning and purpose in their work. With a sense of purpose, we all feel that the work we’re doing matters. When we are contributing to something we feel that matters, we enjoy our work more and we’re rewarded with a feeling of fulfilment and greater happiness.

All the best

David

Resources Of The Week

  • Leadership Community - I’ve opened up a free Leadership Community. This will be a private safe place for leaders and aspiring leaders to calibrate and improve as a group. If you are interested in joining to develop your leadership and professional skills within a nurturing, positive and supportive environment, please complete this form here to confirm why you wish to join.

  • App - Blinkist. Do you ever read books and think there was a lot of fluff in there? Blinkist saves you hours with its premium book summary app which condenses hours of reading down into a 10-15 minute summary for you to read or listen to. Try this app to save you time and learn quicker. From today through April 30th, they are offering 40% Off the Blinkist yearly subscription. 

  • YouTube - Mel Robbins - 5 Second Rule. Mel explains the science behind The 5 Second Rule, a form of metacognition that beats every trick your brain plays on you to cause hesitation, overwhelm, procrastination, and overthinking.

  • Book - Start with Why by Simon Sinek. Why are some people and organizations more inventive, pioneering and successful than others? And why are they able to repeat their success again and again? Because in business it doesn’t matter what you do, it matters why you do it. This book is for anyone who wants to inspire others or to be inspired.

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