Leading with Noble Purpose

Chapter 17Believe in the Dignity of Your Business

To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work.

—Sister Mary Lauretta

It's time for us to have an honest conversation about money. We've spent the majority of the book talking about how to shift the focus away from money. By this point, you understand that the money story is not nearly as powerful or sustainable as the meaning story. Companies with a Noble Purpose ultimately make more money because their teams are more engaged.

But let's be clear about the role that money plays in our businesses, in our own lives, and in the lives of our people. Money is important. Lack of money causes people to do all sorts of things.

I believe that business is a Noble Endeavor and that you deserve to be paid for it.

Shifting your focus from profit to purpose is not about making less money. It's a mistake to interpret it as such.

Our society sends us a polarizing message about money. We've heard that money is the root of all evil. We grew up with the story of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge keeping Bob Cratchit's family in poverty. We love to hate Homer Simpson's boss, the evil Mr. Burns, the owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, who cackles as he poisons his community to make an extra buck.

Yet we know that not having money makes it hard to live your life. We enjoy the things that money can buy for us and our family. If you're reading this book, odds are at some point you've enjoyed the benefits of a nice meal or vacation. ...