This article is part of our series, Where Are Your Growth Blind Spots?, where we explore the often-overlooked barriers that hinder growth in organisations. Drawing from Vibrance’s Growth Orienteering strategic approach, we aim to help leaders uncover hidden obstacles and unlock their organisation’s full growth potential.
In this article, we focus on the purpose blind spot, an obstacle to growth that arises when organisations lack clarity around their true purpose, their raison d'être and subsequently fail to unlock and mobilise the energy and organisational forces required to grow.
The Purpose Blind Spot
A clear purpose acts as a guiding star, aligning efforts across the organisation and inspiring internal and external stakeholders. Yet, too many organisations operate without a well-defined purpose or one that resonates deeply with employees and customers.
Poorly defined purposes often manifest as generic statements focused on shareholder value, leading to short-term thinking, and disengaged employees. Another common trigger for scepticism and disengagement is a lack of alignment between purpose and day-to-day actions.
Such poorly defined or lived purposes create growth blind spots that leaders are often unaware of. The consequences are significant. Without an authentic purpose, organisations struggle to inspire loyalty, differentiate themselves in the market, and make decisions that stand the test of time. Purpose-driven organisations, by contrast, are better equipped to navigate uncertainty, attract top talent, and build enduring relationships with customers; all key enablers of successful growth strategies.
Purpose Statement: A Tool to Also Unleash Your Growth Potential
This is why crafting a purpose statement that acts as a North Star is essential, not only to overcome the blind spot but also to unlock your organisation’s full growth potential.
As David Pountney emphasises in his article, A Purpose – The North Star of Growth Orienteering, a well-defined purpose can unlock sustainable growth when it reflects the organisation’s aspirations and resonates with stakeholders. To create an effective purpose statement, David identifies five essential attributes:
1. Simple and Concise: Avoid complexity, a clear purpose is easier for employees and customers to understand and remember. Canva’s “Empower the world to design” is a prime example of clarity guiding expansive growth.
2. Effectively Embodies a Bold Ambition: Boldness inspires extraordinary outcomes. Patagonia’s “We’re in business to save our home planet” reflects its strong commitment to environmental sustainability and is central to its brand identity.
3. Communicates Commitment and Intent: A purpose should connect on both a rational and emotional level, fostering trust and deeper alignment. Tencent’s purpose, “To enhance the quality of life through internet value-added services,” illustrates this well.
4. Enables Growth Beyond the Core (If Desired): A great purpose should support aspirations to grow into new territories while remaining rooted in the core. Ørsted’s “Creating a world that runs entirely on green energy” guided its transition from a fossil fuel company to a global leader in renewable energy, becoming the world’s largest developer of offshore wind farms.
5. Evolves as Needed: Purpose statements should adapt to reflect shifts in strategic direction. For example, Microsoft’s shift to “Empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more” under Satya Nadella signalled a new era of innovation and growth.
As David aptly notes, a strong purpose statement not only defines why an organisation exists but also serves as a cornerstone for inspiring stakeholders and driving strategic growth.
Case Study: Who Gives A Crap’s Purpose-Driven Growth
In a commoditised market where there’s no shortage of options (well, except during a few COVID-related panic moments), Who Gives A Crap carved out a significant space for themselves, not because they reinvented toilet paper as a product, but because they had a clear and compelling purpose: "to ensure everyone has access to clean water and a toilet within our lifetime".
Founded in 2012, this Australian-based company set out to address global sanitation issues by selling eco-friendly toilet paper and donating 50% of its profits to improve sanitation in developing countries. This strong sense of purpose enabled them to build a deeply engaged workforce. On Glassdoor, 94% of employees say they would recommend working at Who Gives A Crap to a friend, and the company boasts a 100% CEO approval rating. This high level of alignment and engagement fosters a culture where people are not just working for a business but for a cause they believe in.
Purpose also translates directly into business success. Driving every aspect of Who Gives A Crap’s operations, from its eco-friendly product design to its witty marketing campaigns, the purpose became the foundation of a growth strategy that resonated with socially conscious consumers worldwide. With annual global revenue now estimated around the $100 million mark, the company’s impact extends across Australian, US and UK markets. Its UK operations, launched in 2018, have demonstrated rapid success, with revenue growing to nearly £39 million by 2023, a notable 18% increase from the prior year. In 2020, Who Gives A Crap achieved a record $5.85 million in donations to sanitation projects, reflecting both the scale of its growth and the strength of its mission-driven business model.
Who Gives A Crap demonstrates that purpose can transform even the simplest products into platforms for meaningful impact and sustained growth, starting with engaged employees and radiating out to loyal customers.
Overcoming the purpose blind spot
The purpose blind spot is a common yet avoidable challenge. When organisations lack a compelling purpose or fail to live by it, they forgo the opportunity to inspire, differentiate, and create lasting impact.
In the end, the purpose blind spot is even more than a missed opportunity, it represents a fundamental distinction between viewing growth as an end or as a means to an end. Without a strong purpose, growth can become a hollow pursuit, focused solely on profitability or shareholder value.
However, when an organisation’s purpose is clear and compelling, growth becomes a powerful enabler for realising that purpose. It aligns efforts, inspires teams, and maximises impact in the world. A strong purpose ensures that growth is not simply about getting bigger but about making a bigger difference.
Does your organisation’s growth ambition truly serve its purpose, or has purpose been left behind in the race to grow?
If you have bold growth aspirations for your organisation, begin by defining a purpose that reflects your reason for being. Let it guide your actions, inspire your people, and use growth as the means to fulfil it.
About Fred
Executive advisor on strategy and innovation. Co-author of The Invincible Company, a guide to building resilience in organisations with corporate innovation and shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Strategy Award 2021.
New perspectives on Growth and Innovation. Delivered every Full Moon.