Purpose-Driven Decision Making – Power of Purpose Part 2

Purpose also plays a critical role in decision-making, guiding teams through complex choices. When faced with challenges, teams that are grounded in a shared purpose have a stronger sense of direction, allowing them to prioritize more effectively and act in alignment with long-term goals.

Leaders can strengthen purpose-driven decision making by incorporating Positive Intelligence© (PQ), which is a measure of mental fitness—the ability to respond to challenges with a positive rather than a negative mindset. Leaders with high PQ help teams approach obstacles with curiosity, creativity, and resilience, rather than being derailed by fear or stress.

Example: Under Satya Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft embraced a purpose-driven mission to “empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” This shift in focus helped the company make strategic decisions, including moving into cloud computing, which has positioned them as a leader in the tech industry.

Additionally, it no doubt drove them to adopt new levels of Environmental, Social and Governance responsibility; working towards “a sustainable future where everyone has access to the benefits and opportunities created by technology” and to do this in a way that will take them to a carbon negative position by 2030.

In order to make decisions like these, the organization’s leaders must be acting from a position of high emotional intelligence – being aware and connected, not only to the demands of profit-making, but also their longer-term impact on employees, customers and the natural environment.

By applying Positive Intelligence© to develop mental fitness, leaders can help their teams stay resilient in the face of setbacks, consistently returning to the guiding principles of their purpose rather than being sidetracked by short-term pressures. High-PQ teams adopt a “Sage” mindset, which turns every obstacle into an opportunity for growth and innovation.

Quote:
“Purpose-driven companies make more strategic decisions, as they focus on long-term impact over short-term gains.” – McKinsey, Purpose as a Performance Multiplier