Whitepaper: Higher Purpose Leads to Exceptional Performance

When Toni Pergolin, the CEO of Bancroft, asked DillonMarcus, "How do you define a world-class Executive Team?", the team stumbled for an answer. That question led to a deeper look at two decades of experience working with executive teams — and to the discovery that stands at the top of the list: Higher Purpose.

The Question That Started It All

For 20 years, DillonMarcus's process was to help each executive team define for themselves what it meant to be world-class. Until Toni asked her question, the team had never stopped long enough to reflect on what they actually knew. So they studied the commonalities across their work with many executive teams, drew on years of research and experience teaching in MBA programs, and examined their own sensibilities about what they believe to be right.

What Is Higher Purpose?

The result was seven indicators of a world-class executive team, and at the top of the list was Higher Purpose. For every great company or leader DillonMarcus has worked with, studied, or admired, fulfilling a higher purpose is their primary business objective.

At DillonMarcus, Higher Purpose is defined as a virtue or goal concerned with the betterment of life, society, or people. Higher Purpose supersedes profitability and all other business goals as an organization's primary objective — the business enterprise itself becomes an instrument to manifest that higher purpose.

The Seven Indicators of World-Class

Higher Purpose sits at the top of a framework that includes being emotionally safe, aligned and cohesive, strategically smart, building a culture of excellence, developing life-long learners, and becoming unleashed — all of which flow into exceptional performance across people, product, process, and profit.

The Connection Between Purpose and Performance

At their best, organizations make all of their decisions based upon their higher purpose, especially the most critical ones. One of DillonMarcus's most exciting discoveries is the direct connection between Higher Purpose and performance. Organizations that live by a higher purpose tend to have strong, enduring cultures, a deep commitment to customer service, smart strategies, and exceptional performance.

Measuring Higher Purpose with 0-to-60™

DillonMarcus built a proprietary assessment tool, 0-to-60™, to help executive teams measure where they stand on the indicators of World Class. As a leadership team, they collectively answer questions like: Do we have a Higher Purpose? To what extent do we all understand it? To what extent do we all believe in it? And to what extent do we all live by it?

There's also a question each Executive Team member answers individually — one where honesty is critical to a team fully embracing its Higher Purpose: To what extent is fulfilling our Higher Purpose my primary business objective? The main goal of 0-to-60™ is to drive the honest, genuine, and critical conversations that lead to meaningful change.

Business as a Force for Good

DillonMarcus is proud to be part of a world community of leaders who believe business is a force for good — with no compromise between purpose and profit. Commitment to Higher Purpose produces exceptional performance, and organizations that embrace Higher Purpose as their core strategic driver set themselves on a path to greatness. As one leader put it: "We make all decisions based upon our Higher Purpose, even the most critical ones."

Frequently Asked Questions

How does DillonMarcus define Higher Purpose?

As a virtue or goal concerned with the betterment of life, society, or people — one that supersedes profitability as an organization's primary objective.

What tool does DillonMarcus use to measure Higher Purpose?

0-to-60™, a proprietary assessment that helps executive teams measure where they stand on the indicators of World Class, including Higher Purpose.

Why does Higher Purpose matter for performance?

Organizations that live by a higher purpose tend to have strong, enduring cultures, deep commitment to customer service, smart strategies, and exceptional performance.

Learn more about how DillonMarcus helps build world-class executive teams at DillonMarcus.com, or download the full Higher Purpose Whitepaper (PDF).

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