(610) 463-5492 JOHN@JOHNGRONSKI.COM

Purpose is Powerful

Purpose is Powerful

“Why” Trumps “What” Every Time

When I commanded a brigade of 5,000 Soldiers and Marines in Ramadi, Iraq in 2005-06 the environment was very chaotic and violent. As the brigade commander, it was my responsibility as the leader of our military unit to articulate “purpose” for the men and women of our brigade.

I felt it was important that they heard from me why we needed to make the sacrifice to be away from our families and risk our lives daily. The purpose I articulated was, “the reason we are here in Iraq fighting the insurgents and terrorists is to keep our families, friends, and all Americans safer back home.”

As I conducted battlefield circulation in Ramadi, I consistently communicated that purpose to every Soldier and Marine from battalion commanders down to the youngest and least experienced privates.

I believe articulating the shared purpose improved morale and helped them to cope with the hardships of the deployment. I also believe it helped them be true to their military values and their profession as we performed our duty for the greater good of our nation.

 

Purpose is Power

I read Victor Frankl’s book, “Man’s Search for Meaning” again recently. I read it many years ago, and I wanted to reread it because it comes with a powerful message. Frankl spent the years 1942-45 in a Nazi concentration camp. He was an Austrian Jew and was educated as a psychiatrist.

Based on his horrific experience in the concentration camps, Frankl came away believing we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how we cope with it. He quotes the German philosopher, Nietzsche, who said, he who has a “why” to live for can bear almost any” how”.

Men like Frankl and Nietzsche understood that “purpose” drives people to succeed even in the face of great hardship. Purpose is a powerful fuel for individual endeavors and organizational undertakings alike. Purpose is powerful.

“Why” Trumps “What”

In the Army, we write operations orders to issue to units prior to conducting a military operation. The mission statement is a key element of the operations order and provides a unit a task and purpose.

Another way to state this is that the mission provides a unit the “what” and the “why”. If I had to choose between telling an organization what to do or why they needed to do it, I would choose the “why” every time. “Why” equals “purpose” and when people buy into the purpose, they will achieve great things, even in times of struggle.

I believe it is essential for a unit or an individual to understand why they need to do something. People will figure out what they need to do to accomplish the purpose if it comes to that and certainly, they can figure out how to accomplish the task.

The caveat I will add is that leaders should never just throw purpose over the fence and walk away. Leaders need to make themselves available to provide guidance along the way if need be.

Leaders Must Provide Purpose

It is the leader who needs to articulate the purpose of an organization. Without the leader providing the purpose to an organization, that organization will flounder and go in potentially many different directions.

If you have ten rowers rowing a boat, they all must work together. Ultimately, some will be stronger than the others.  Without the leader providing purpose and direction, that boat will probably go in circles and never reach the intended destination.

While there may be many in the organization who can work on the “what” and “how”, it is the leader’s role to provide the “why”. No real progress begins until the leader determines and articulates the purpose. The leader must then enthusiastically and consistently communicate that purpose throughout the organization.

The Three Keys to Purpose

There are three key things to remember about purpose.

Purpose is powerful and can change lives. A sense of purpose will inspire those within an organization to work for something greater than themselves.

“What” trumps “why” every time. If you can only provide one or the other, provide the “why.” Leaders must provide purpose to an organization to keep the organization moving in the right direction.

The leader’s role is to articulate purpose for an organization. Leaders provide guidance and it is purpose that guides organizations. There is tremendous power in purpose.

Women of Law Enforcement Conference

The Women of Law Enforcement (WOLE) Conference took place the week of September 20, 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. Over 500 female law enforcement officers attended this amazing conference. John Gronski was invited to speak at the conference and on September 21st he...

Leadership Development at NIA

On September 21and 22, 2023 John Gronski was invited to present his Iron-Sharpened Leadership and Resiliency Workshop at the National Public Safety Innovation Academy in Polk County, Florida. He was assisted by SGT Eric Diaz, a law enforcement officer with over 30...

When Lack of Speed “Kills”

By MG John Gronski (USA, Ret.), CEO, Leader Grove, LLC According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speed is a central factor in 25% of all traffic fatalities. A friend of mine who is a Pennsylvania State Trooper echoed the same warning. According...

Remembering 9/11 22 Years Later

I was asked to deliver remarks at a memorial ride to remember the victims who perished on September 11, 2001, in Clinton Township, PA. These are the thoughts I am going to share with those attending and I wanted to share the remarks with you too. It is an honor for me...

Why Bother to be Intelligent?

Why bother developing your intelligence? I am talking about emotional intelligence. Research and anecdotal evidence point to many good reasons to do so. According to author Daniel Golemen, the domains of emotional intelligence include self-awareness, self-control,...

Online Leadership Training

John Gronski recently developed some great online leadership development courses and many people are already taking advantage of the learning opportunity. John decided to price these courses at $39.99, not looking to make a huge profit on the courses. The intent is to...

Left of the Bang

By MG John Gronski (USA, Ret.) A friend of mine had the honor of meeting Gene Kranz a few years ago. I have admired the leadership of Gene Kranz for a long time and my friend confirmed that what you see is what you get. Kranz continues to impart his leadership lessons...

SBA Certifies Leader Grove, LLC as SDVOSB

The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced it has certified John Gronski's leadership development company, Leader Grove, LLC, as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. Leader Grove's purpose is to help leaders who want to improve, get better....

EI Lessons From the Rail Trail

By Major General John Gronski (USA, Ret.) My wife Berti had a great time cycling on a rail trail near our home. We knocked out 26 miles at a brisk pace. Along with the health benefits and the joy of spending time with my wife, I also took away some lessons about...

Can That Gen Z Dog Hunt?

About a week ago a question was posed on LinkedIn. That question was, “Can GEN Z lead?” Generation Z, usually shortened to GEN Z and known as zoomers are those people born in the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years. Many...
Share This