I was reading a consultant's blog post in which he was offering advice to businesses curious about incorporating purpose into their approach.

His advice was troubling. His view was that it was enough to simply make sure the business was viable. I agree that viability is the baseline. The business has to be viable in order for it to continue. But he had the view that purpose was a distraction. It was a nice-to-have. And he viewed it as a trade-off. In other words, he portrayed pursuing a purpose as a potential threat to ensuring a viable operation.

It's not either/or

Companies do not make the decision to pursue a purpose at the expense of success. In fact, it's just the opposite. They pursue a purpose knowing that it will amplify their success.

Taking this approach does not add distraction as this consultant assumed (he obviously doesn't have experience helping an organization adopt this game-changing approach). It gives you incredible clarity and focus on something that you have a real passion for. That is the kind of combination that energizes and motivates customers, prospects, and even your team members. The kind of approach that leads to success on so many more levels than just running a viable business.

Purpose doesn't have to be earth-shaking

This consultant also portrayed purpose as something that is world-changing. Again, this is an uninformed assumption.

Your purpose doesn't have to change the world. I always counsel businesses to start by looking at how they can make a difference in one life. Just one life.

The business could always evolve to examine how it could make a difference in a community. And maybe even the world. But it all starts with understanding the difference you could make in just one life. I like pointing to Starbucks' statement: To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

They don't talk about changing the world. They stayed put with inspiring one person and one neighborhood at a time.

Pursuing your brand purpose

If you have been considering exploring how purpose could help your organization, here is arguably the most crucial tip: purpose is clarified, not created. You can't invent a purpose or decide to adopt something trendy. People will see right through it. And their reaction to you will do damage to your brand that will be hard to recover from.

A purpose emerges naturally out of who you are and why you do what you do. If you're interested in the process of clarifying your purpose, check out the book Big Audacious Meaning – Unleashing Your Purpose-Driven Story.

Making a difference

Today, people want their dollars to do more than buy goods and services. They want those dollars to help do some good in the world. Research even shows that they will pay more for a product or service if they know they are helping to support a meaningful purpose.

This is why clarifying a brand purpose can become a savvy strategic move for organizations. You're not abandoning your business. You're understanding that you can make a difference for those around you. And that will make a difference in your success. A difference unrivaled by any other business strategy.