Categories

The most deeply motivated people – not to mention those who are most productive and satisfied – hitch their desires to a cause larger than themselves.

We’re learning that the profit motive, potent though it is, can be an insufficient impetus for both individuals and organizations.

Words matter. And if you listen carefully, you might begin to hear a slightly different – slightly more purpose-oriented, dialect.

Failing to understand this conundrum – that satisfaction depends not merely on having goals, but on having the right goals – can lead sensible people down self-destructive paths.

The profit motive has been an important fuel for achievement. But it’s not the only motive. And it’s not the most important one.

It’s in our nature to seek purpose. But that nature is now being revealed and expressed on a scale that is demographically unprecedented and, until recently, scarcely imaginable. The consequences could rejuvenate our businesses and remake our world.

The science shows that the secret to high performance isn’t our biological drive or our reward-and-punishment drive, but… our deep-seated desire to direct our own lives, to extend and expand our abilities, and to live a life of purpose.

…the richest experiences in our lives aren’t when we’re clamoring for validation from others, but when we’re listening to our own voice, doing something that matters, doing it well, and doing it in the service of a cause larger than ourselves.

…if you develop and adhere to a valid mission and purpose, how can you go off the track? It’s impossible.

If you have a valid mission and purpose, and the result of your negotiation fulfills this mission and purpose, it’s a good and worthwhile negotiation.