EDITOR’S NOTE: This article first appeared at Inc.com.
When I first picked up John Calvin’s “Institutes of the Christian Religion,” I didn’t expect it to change the way I approach business.
I was alternating between theology and business books at the time, trying to grow both personally and professionally. But one passage stopped me in my tracks: “All blessings we have in this life are divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors.”
I bookmarked the page and couldn’t move on for days. It hit me deeply, especially as I navigated two transformative events in my life: becoming a parent and stepping into ownership of the company. What struck me most was how this idea resonates with the very industry we operate in: the trust and wealth management space. A legal trust exists to ensure assets are managed responsibly for the benefit of others, not merely for the personal gain of the trustee.
Calvin’s words underscored a truth and an ethical framework that I wanted to embed in our trust management software company. It became the foundation for our culture and the inspiration for our company’s purpose: To make great things happen for other people.
Looking back, I see this clarity as the single most important factor behind the explosive growth we’ve experienced.
Defining purpose and values
Purpose is powerful, but it’s meaningless without alignment. That’s why our foundational values are so critical. They’re what we hire for. We’ve identified our values as dedication to service, encouragement, and innovation.
You can’t fake belief or authenticity when it comes to alignment. People will quickly see through lip service. That’s why it’s vital to embed purpose and values into the DNA of the organization. It’s not just something we say — it’s something we live.
But living this purpose requires consistency. When an prospective employee, partner, or prospective client doesn’t align with our values, it should be immediately apparent at every level of the organization. To protect our culture, we’ve had to make hard decisions, but those decisions have reinforced our identity and strengthened our team.
Purpose as a driver of growth
A decade ago, we decided to rebuild our platform from the ground up to deliver something truly innovative for our clients, and it required significant sacrifice.
Rewriting mission-critical software was no small feat, but we believed it was necessary to make great things happen for our clients not just today but 10 years from now. Without a clear purpose, it would have been easy to take shortcuts or prioritize short-term gains. Instead, our purpose gave us the resolve to embrace the challenge and do what was best for our clients in the long term.
This decision to build the best technology for the industry we serve was a hardship at first. We worked long nights and weekends to deliver something great for our clients. But it eventually led to explosive growth for us.
Lessons for leaders
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that defining purpose and values isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s essential. Here are some key takeaways:
- Purpose must be actionable. A purpose statement isn’t a marketing tagline. It’s a framework for decision-making. It should inspire and guide every aspect of your business.
- Values are your cultural guardrails. They define how you achieve your purpose and create alignment within the organization. Hire, train, and, if necessary, terminate based on them.
- Consistency is key. Purpose and values must be omnipresent in your organization. They should be reflected in your strategy, your processes, and the way you interact with clients and employees. You should be talking about them in every meeting.
- Lead by example. As a leader, you set the tone. If you don’t live and breathe your purpose and values, no one else will.
- Prepare for resistance. Not everyone will immediately buy in. Focus on turning neutral individuals into advocates and let detractors self-select out if they’re unwilling to align (staying and not aligning cannot be an option).
The Long-Term Payoff
Some might ask if this level of intentionality is worth it. My answer is unequivocally yes.
Purpose and values don’t just drive growth; they make the journey fulfilling. They ensure that success isn’t just measured in numbers but in the impact we make for our clients, our team, and our communities.
Simply put, purpose fosters engagement. When people understand why they get out of bed every morning and feel excited about what they’re working toward, they’re more curious, collaborative, and innovative. They become more than employees. They become ambassadors of the culture.
As I look to the future, I’m confident that our commitment to purpose and values will continue to differentiate us. They are the reason we’ve been able to scale without losing our identity. They are why our clients trust us and why our team remains engaged and motivated. And they are why I’m excited to get out of bed every morning to see what’s next.
