Selling With Noble Purpose, 2nd Edition

Conclusion: Life on Purpose

Regret for the things we did can be tempered over time; it is regret for things we did not do that is inconsolable.

—Sydney J. Harris, journalist and author

After a recent speech, a man came up to me and said, “I like my job, but my wife is the one who has the real Noble Purpose. She's a preschool teacher.” “What do you do?” I asked. He said, “I run a logistics team.” He was the leader of more than 100 people.

Now, I love a good preschool teacher. If you've read most or even part of this book, you know that I frequently draw from parenting and family examples to illustrate human dynamics.

But let's do a little math here. A preschool teacher has 10 or 20 students a year. Their little minds are quite malleable, and toddlers are (mostly) a delight to engage with. However, this man was managing more than 100 people! His words, his moods, and his actions were affecting how 100 human beings spent their days. And every one of those people was taking their day home to their family and friends.

We often underestimate the power of our presence because we feel so pressed to deliver tangible results. Sometimes it's all you can do to make it through the day and get at least a few concrete tasks off your plate.

One of the key principles of this book is how the intangible becomes tangible. The qualitative things you do as a leader impact the quantitative results of your organization. But the truth is, the impact of your actions extends well beyond your business ...