Finding Higher Purpose: Helping Your Team Discover Meaning and Direction

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Abstract: This study examines how leaders can foster meaningful engagement by helping teams discover higher purpose beyond routine responsibilities. Drawing from research on purpose-driven motivation, the article explores how connecting work to broader significance enhances individual well-being and organizational outcomes. The article reviews evidence demonstrating that purpose orientation increases motivation, reduces burnout, improves health outcomes, and creates competitive advantages through enhanced retention and performance. The paper outlines practical leadership strategies for cultivating purpose, including modeling authentic purpose-alignment, creating reflection opportunities, highlighting meaningful impact stories, clarifying organizational mission, and redesigning roles to better fulfill purpose. Case studies from healthcare and education sectors illustrate successful implementation of these approaches, with recommendations for sustaining purpose-driven cultures through changing circumstances.

As a leader, helping your team find meaning and direction beyond daily tasks and responsibilities can strengthen motivation, engagement, and performance. Today we we will explore how discovering higher purpose can positively impact both individuals and organizations. We will review research on purpose and motivation, and provide practical steps leaders can take to guide their teams in identifying and living out a shared higher purpose.

Defining Higher Purpose

Before delving into how to help others find purpose, it is important to first define what is meant by "higher purpose." Research suggests higher purpose refers to contributing value beyond self-interest, such as improving lives, making a positive difference, or leaving a legacy. Having a clearly defined higher purpose provides intrinsic motivation and a compelling reason for existence (Cordova & Lopez, 2013). It gives work meaning and orientates efforts toward contributions that matter deeply. While daily tasks may vary, higher purpose provides a consistent North Star for individual and organizational direction.

Benefits of Living with Purpose

Studies have repeatedly shown living and working with a sense of purpose can increase well-being, job satisfaction, and performance (Dik, Byrne & Steger, 2013). Some key benefits seen at both individual and organizational levels include:

• Increased motivation, engagement, and dedication to goals aligned with the purpose (Wrzesniewski, Berg & Dutton, 2010). With purpose comes passion.

• Reduced stress and burnout as work feels more meaningful (van Wingerden, Derks & Bakker, 2017). Purpose provides perspective beyond day-to-day challenges.

• Improved health, life satisfaction and likelihood of flourishing (Hill & Turiano, 2014). Purpose is life-giving.

• Greater productivity, morale and retention as people feel invested in the organization's mission (Pawar, 2016). Shared purpose unites people.

• Competitive advantage through a purpose-driven culture and high-performing teams committed for the long haul (Haslam, Reicher & Platow, 2011). Purpose powers progress.

Clearly, helping team members find meaning through higher purpose has wide-ranging and substantial individual and organizational rewards. The challenge then becomes finding practical ways for leaders to guide this important discovery process.

Facilitating the Search for Purpose

The first step leaders can take is open communication to determine existing senses of purpose within their teams and how roles currently support or detract from living those purposes. Opening dialogue on this topic signals its importance and allows existing motivations to surface. From there, specific actions can include:

• Leading by Example: Modeling living congruently with one's own purpose through decisions, priorities and day-to-day behaviors (McKee, Boyatzis & Johnston, 2008). Authenticity is key.

• Fostering Reflection: Providing time and prompts for individuals and groups to ponder motivations, values, talents and how work could better serve others (Damon, 2008). Reflection reveals purpose.

• Connecting to Meaningful Impact: Highlighting real stories of how efforts translate to help or progress for stakeholders (George & Sims, 2007). Impact ties purpose to practice.

• Clarifying Organizational Purpose: Ensuring a compelling shared mission and vision that unites people toward common good (Collins & Porras, 2002). Collective purpose empowers teams.

• Developing Purpose-Driven Roles: Assessing how roles can be designed, empowered or adjusted to better fulfill an emerging higher purpose (Wrzesniewski et al., 2010). Aligned roles enable purpose.

These practical steps establish an environment where purpose can take root and grow. While discovering purpose is personal, leaders play a vital role in cultivating the conditions where purpose naturally emerges.

Applying Purpose-Focused Leadership

To bring the concept of facilitating purpose to life, consider specific examples within industries where purpose-driven approaches have driven positive change. Let's look at two sectors in particular.

In healthcare, research finds purpose is a top motivation for those entering caring professions like nursing (Porath et al., 2011). However, demanding systems and constraints can undermine this calling. One nursing home director recognized this issue and took action through purpose-focused leadership.

She began by surveying staff about their initial motivations and facilitating reflection on how their roles had changed. Together, they crafted a renewed mission emphasizing dignity, compassion and fulfillment for residents. The director then redesigned workflows and reprioritized tasks to refocus daily efforts on fulfilling that purpose. Impact stories were shared regularly to connect purpose to practice.

As staff felt empowered and roles better supported their motivations, engagement surged. Improvements in care quality measures, satisfaction scores and retention followed - reducing costs from high turnover. By cultivating purpose through collective discernment and aligned systems, a more energized and effective team culture emerged.

In education, research finds teachers enter the field seeking to make a difference in students’ lives (Crosswell & Ellison, 2013). However, administrative burdens and standardized testing requirements can reduce focus on that higher purpose. One principal recognized the need to restore teachers’ sense of purpose.

She started by prompting reflection on what initially drew teachers to the profession. Together, they crafted a new mission focusing on nurturing each student’s potential. The principal redesigned schedules to increase teaching autonomy and relationships with students. Regular observations and feedback focused on fulfillment of that purpose rather than test scores. Impact stories highlighting students’ growth and successes were shared frequently.

As teachers felt more empowered and able to fulfill their core motivations, enthusiasm rebounded. Grade improvements and program participation grew as students responded to renewed teacher commitment. Retention rates rose significantly, reducing training costs from turnover. By helping the team rediscover and better fulfill their shared higher purpose of supporting students, education quality and staff well-being increased.

These examples illustrate how purpose-driven leadership in practice positively transforms cultures by giving individuals and teams room to reconnect with what inspires their best work. While every context differs, the underlying process is the same - leaders guide purpose discovery, then align efforts to empower its fulfillment.

Sustaining a Culture of Purpose

Having helped a team discover and clarify their shared higher purpose, the work is not done. Leaders must then sustain a culture where purpose thrives through changes. Ongoing attention includes:

• Celebrating progress toward purpose through recognition of efforts and impacts that fulfill shared motivations.

• Adapting as necessary to ensure the articulated purpose remains relevant as contexts evolve. Flexibility maintains resonance.

• Empowering distributed leadership so others model and champion purpose throughout shifts in formal roles. Grassroots ownership endures.

• Prioritizing purpose during change so it anchors the team during transitions that could otherwise disrupt culture. Constancy provides direction.

• Hiring for purpose alignment to onboard newcomers who can contribute energy as mission carriers forward. Turnover of purpose is avoided.

By keeping purpose visibly alive, concrete and adaptively reinforced over time, teams are empowered to sustain motivation independently through challenges (Haslam et al., 2011). A culture of purpose founded on individual discovery and collective nurturing proves enduring.

Conclusion

Research makes clear that meaning, impact and motivation found through higher purpose benefit both individuals and organizations. As leaders, facilitating purpose discovery through open communication, reflection, aligned systems and impact stories allows this innate human motivation to emerge for teams. Focusing ongoing efforts on sustaining an adaptive culture where purpose thrives long-term transforms organizational effectiveness from the inside out. Leaders play a vital role in cultivating purpose not just as a foundational element of culture, but as an ongoing north star guiding continuous progress toward a shared and meaningful horizon.

References

1. Cordova, D. I., & Lopez, S. J. (2013). Braving the political jungle: Therapists' higher purpose in serving marginalized populations. In E. C. Chang, C. A. Downey, J. K. Hirsch, & N. J. Lin (Eds.), Positive psychology in racial and ethnic groups: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 105–122). Springer Science + Business Media.

2. Crosswell, L., & Elliott, R. (2013). Committing to commitment: Emotionally committed teachers, work values and job satisfaction. Teaching and Teacher Education, 35, 71-80.

3. Damon, W. (2008). The path to purpose: How young people find their calling in life. Free Press.

4. Dik, B. J., Byrne, Z. S., & Steger, M. F. (2013). Purpose and meaning in the workplace. In APA handbook of clinical psychology: Vol. 2. Applications and methods of clinical research and practice (pp. 65-79). American Psychological Association.

5. George, B., & Sims, P. (2007). True North: Discover your authentic leadership. Jossey-Bass.

6. Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S. D., & Platow, M. J. (2011). The new psychology of leadership: Identity, influence and power. Psychology Press.

7. Hill, P. L., & Turiano, N. A. (2014). Purpose in life as a predictor of mortality across adulthood. Psychological Science, 25(7), 1482-1486.

8. McKee, A., Boyatzis, R. E., & Johnston, F. (2008). Becoming a resonant leader: Develop your emotional intelligence, renew your relationships, sustain your effectiveness. Harvard Business Press.

9. Pawar, B. S. (2016). Meaningfulness of work and subjective well-being: The mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction. The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 150(8), 1054-1072.

10. Porath, C., Spreitzer, G., Gibson, C., & Garnett, F. G. (2011). Thriving at work: Toward its measurement, construct validation, and theoretical refinement. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(2), 250-275.

11. van Wingerden, J., Derks, D., & Bakker, A. B. (2017). The impact of personal resources and job crafting interventions on work engagement and performance. Human Resource Management, 56(1), 51-67.

12. Wrzesniewski, A., Berg, J. M., & Dutton, J. E. (2010). Turn the job you have into the job you want. Harvard Business Review, 88(6), 114-117.

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Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.

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Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2026). Finding Higher Purpose: Helping Your Team Discover Meaning and Direction. Human Capital Leadership Review, 22(1). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.22.1.7