Includes bibliographical references and index.

What is purpose really?
Walking on the razor's edge
Four levers for superior performance
Where purpose really comes from: looking backward while looking forward
Are you a poet, or just a plumber?
The "Me" in purpose
Escaping the iron cage
From ideas to ideals: future-proofing purpose
Epilogue: getting started with deep purpose: action steps to consider

Many companies have used purpose as a corporate buzzword to appear virtuous internally, and look good to the outside world. But a poor understanding of the importance of real purpose can have detrimental consequences for the profitability and sustainability of a business. Deep purpose is the essential guide to putting purpose at the core of a company, and in doing so, understanding its very soul. Drawing together years of research, including analysis of multinational corporations from Danone and PepsiCo to Microsoft and Patagonia, Harvard professor Ranjay Gulati has identified eight conceptual barriers that are dooming leaders and their companies to a more superficial engagement with purpose. In this book, he shows you how to understand and overcome these obstacles, in order to find your company's deep purpose and supercharge its capacity to serve all stakeholders and shareholders. By fusing commercial and social logic, business leaders can enhance financial performance, boost employee morale and retention, and leave a positive mark on society. Deep purpose has the power to transform the business landscape and usher in a new era of ethical corporate leadership