The Enthusiastic Employee: How Companies Profit by Giving Workers What They Want

Chapter 6. Organization Purpose and Principles

	“Make no small plans…for they have not the power to stir men's blood.”
	--Niccolo Machiavelli, 1514

	“The way I see it, leadership does not begin with power but rather with a compelling vision or goal of excellence.”
	--Frederick W. Smith, CEO, Federal Express

A critical condition for employee enthusiasm is a clear, credible, and inspiring organizational purpose; in effect, it's a “reason for being” that translates for workers into a “reason for being there.” This might seem odd when talking about for-profit enterprises—isn't the idea simply to make a buck and don't employees, in turn, understand that and simply want to be paid well? Well, in fact, no. We humans are not that simple. Not in what we ...