How to Be a Purpose-Driven Leader and Retain Talent in the Workplace

“You can think about profit, you can think about people, and you can think about purpose, and really intersect those three concepts. And the research shows that when you have those, you actually have better performing companies,” explains Shaara Roman, CEO of the Silverene Group, a culture consulting firm, and author of The Conscious Workplace: Fortify Your Culture To Thrive In Any Crisis. Today, she discusses ways to be a purpose-driven leader and retain talent in the workplace.

Authentic leadership is about transparency and accountability. While leadership in the past was primarily about profit over anything else, now, it is more important to consider your people first in order to ensure long term success. Millennials and Gen Z workers are seeking a different work culture than their parents. The culture and the values of an organization are a main driver for where young people choose to work. So, as CEO it is important to really consider your own values and create an intentional work environment and culture that reflects those values. Lean into the human elements of work like fostering community rather than only worrying about your bottom line.

Many organizations claim to put people first, but in practice they still are leading from a profit first mentality. In order to really drive authentic change within your organization, as a leader you must really go all in on caring about and nurturing your talent. When you show your employees that you truly value who they are as people, they will be more likely to want to stay and grow alongside you.

• “You can think about profit, you can think about people, and you can think about purpose, and really intersect those three concepts. And the research shows that when you have those, you actually have better performing companies.” (9:42-9:57 | Shaara)
• “The tough times are going to be the times that really send that message about what your culture is, what your values are.” (13:43-13:51 | Shaara)
• “As a CEO, it's your job to be paying attention to what signals are happening in the economy.” (15:02-15:08 | Shaara)
• “Culture is not fixed. It is all about understanding where you are and continuing to nurture it and take care of it.” (19:47-19:55 | Shaara)
• “The more you can share with the people who work for you, and the more context you can give them, the better off you will be.” (24:34-24:41 | Shaara)
• “Millennials and Gen Z's choose work because of the purpose, because of the why of the company.” (28:07-28:13 | Shaara)