Why purpose matters more than profit
Quality over quantity; depth over width; purpose over profit: these are the dichotomies we face as marketers — and as human beings — every day. We post them to our computer screens and set them as our phone backgrounds. They’re powerful reminders that teach us to slow down, to look at our work and our world in new ways, and to ensure we’re making the right kind of impact.
But does one always have to come at the cost of the other? I don’t believe so. In fact, I think they often go hand in hand. James Dyson developed more than 5,000 vacuum cleaner prototypes before he created the famous version we know today. Quantity preceded quality.
Before I started working at Intrepid Group, I left my hometown of Melbourne, Australia to travel Europe, working jobs that allowed me to survive. They taught me heaps about work ethic and business strategy, but didn’t motivate me to improve the world around me. I had no purpose or noble aspirations. Width preceded depth.
Finding your purpose
It wasn’t until I started managing a team at Intrepid Travel that I discovered why finding my purpose was so important. It was this amazing moment when, suddenly, I realized that my career wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about driving profit or paying bills. It was about helping other people and making a positive impact on the world. Managing a team forced me to put my personal agenda to the side, and made me see that the profit element of my work was second to the purpose part. When I started to see my team achieve, not just professional successes, but personal ones, too — gain confidence, save to buy a house, etc. — that was the most exciting time in my career. It became my motivation to go to work.
For some people, profit is their purpose. Money motivates them, and that’s okay. Part of being a great leader is discovering what unique goals people set for themselves, and helping them achieve great things in their own way. In order to learn what those goals are, you need to really listen to your team, listen to their likes and dislikes, learn their strengths and weaknesses.
Sometimes, they don’t know their own purpose and they need a little trust and autonomy to figure it out. That’s okay, too. I don’t hire people because they know exactly what they want to achieve in life. I hire those who know how to hustle, and who care. Full stop. If you care about the world and you know how to work really hard, you’re going to do just fine on my team. When you hire people like that, you don’t have to micromanage, you just give them a project and they’ll get it done how they see fit. That makes for a more efficient team and a more successful business overall.
Making an impact
In order for people to care about their work, they need to have values that align with the business. I’m so lucky to work for a company that has a strong purpose, and one that is so easy to get behind. We want to change the way people see the world. Sending someone on a trip is wonderful, sure. Seeing the world helps people to broaden their horizons, change their perspectives, and transform their lives. But more than that, it enhances the world.
I think of Nepal, for example. After the earthquake struck in 2015, killing more than 8,000 people and destroying over half a million homes, Nepal — a country whose economy is built on tourism — was in turmoil. For the 2015/16 season, Intrepid donated all profits from its Nepal trips to local projects supported by our not-for-profit, The Intrepid Foundation. Not only were we able to raise more than $500,000 to support the country’s rebuild, we also restored tourism in the region to pre-earthquake levels.
Nepal is my favourite destination on Earth. It’s such a powerful place. It challenges you and changes your perspective. I’m so proud to be able to talk about the impact we’ve made there. It’s a huge motivator for me. It’s also a perfect example of how profit can help your purpose. Sales of our product directly and positively impacted a country in need. It wasn’t that purpose came at the cost of profit. When you lead with purpose, profit just starts to mean something a little different.
The Intrepid Foundation leads and supports amazing projects all over the world. We’re providing prosthetics, orthotics, pediatric rehabilitation devices and club-foot treatment in Laos; we’re providing solar lights and cleaner stoves to the people of Bangalore; we’re helping young community members in Myanmar empower their own villages; and so much more. When I get caught up in the minutiae of the day-to-day or lose sight of my purpose, I think of these projects, the impact they have, and the unique position I’m in to not only help those in need, but to lead my team to do the same.
Looking back
And when I’m looking back on my life, I probably won’t tell my grandkids about the time I increased our profits by X% or got a promotion. Those won’t be the bits I remember. I’ll tell them about the time I climbed Everest Basecamp and looked out over Gokyo Lakes at dawn. I’ll tell them how we helped rebuild Nepal during a time when they needed us the most. I’ll tell them about the experiences I was able to have because I dedicated myself to my purpose, rather than just career or profit. I’ll tell them to go climb mountains, challenge their perspectives, and to leave the world better than how they found it. I’ll tell them to work for a company who cares about making a difference.
At the end of the day, the world runs a bit like a company. We all have to care, to work hard, and to help each other find purpose. That would make this the most profitable planet of all.
