The Busy Leader's Handbook

19Meaning, Purpose, and Engagement:

How Great Leaders Effectively Connect All Three

People crave meaningful work and a sense of purpose. We all have a deep need to know we make a difference in the lives of others. In fact, many times meaning and purpose are more important to people than making a lot of money. This is truer today than it’s ever been. A recent Cone Communications study found that 75 percent of Millennials say they’d take a cut in pay to go to work for a values-driven company.¹

It’s no secret that employees who feel a strong sense of meaning and purpose do better work. They’re more creative, productive, and loyal because they really care. That’s why helping employees connect to purpose and meaning solves the number one problem on a leader’s dashboard: engagement. Nothing engages us quite like a sense of purpose. It also helps us engage others.

Companies that figure out how to consistently connect the people who work for them to that all-important sense of meaning and purpose—creating engagement in the process—have a distinct competitive advantage. The effort from an engaged employee can take a business from average to great. It’s not hard to see why.

The engaged employee is emotionally committed to working on organizational goals. They care about the work product. They understand the impact they have on the company’s success. They take care of equipment and supplies as if they were their own. They understand customer satisfaction means more than just a happy ...