Podcast: Higher Purpose Series Pt. 1 with Bob Quinn and Anjan Thakor

In a blog post written at the beginning of the year, I asked you, dear readers, to ask yourselves, “What is my purpose?”

I challenged you to look beyond goals that might have been about personal achievement – though those are good and important – and consider your purpose that might benefit others or the world around you.

And for leaders of organizations, I challenged you to look at the purpose of your organization, beyond creating wealth and increasing shareholder value.

In the wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for a higher purpose in your business is greater than ever. Everyone wants to know that who they are and what they do matters. No matter the circumstance, it is our job as leaders to let them know that they do. A higher, shared purpose in our business can play a great part in making that happen. People need that now and they will definitely need it as we work toward an economic recovery.

This past winter, Barry-Wehmiller was honored to be asked to be a part of the Organizational Higher Purpose Conference hosted by the Bauer Leadership Center at Washington University in St. Louis. Over the next several episodes of the Everybody Matters Podcast, we’re going to share some of the insights from that conference.

In part one of this “Higher Purpose Series,” two Truly Human Leaders look at higher purpose in a socioeconomic context. You’ll hear from Bob Quinn, a professor emeritus at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and a co-founder of the Center for Positive Organizations, and Anjan J. Thakor, the John E. Simon Professor of Finance at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St, Louis. Bob and Anjan are the co-authors of a new book, The Economics of Higher Purpose: Eight Counterintuitive Steps for Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization.

Join us on this journey. Think about the higher purpose of your business. If you do not have one, the Higher Purpose series can help.