In my last dispatch, I made mention of the Massive Transformative Purpose (MTP) concept. Some of you asked me to elaborate on the idea and its meaning for you and your businesses.
Initially coined by my dear friend and Singularity University’s first Executive Director Salim Ismail, the MTP formulates your purpose (be it your own, personal purpose or the purpose of your organization) and thus provides a North Star, guiding your strategy, tactics, and actions.
Having a massively transformative purpose inspires you and others, unites you around a significant challenge and serves as your rallying cry. For business, the MTP comes down to the simple (but essential) question of: Why should we care?
As an exercise: Take some companies you know of and ask yourself if you can identify (and identify with) their MTP.
Take for example consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble:
We will provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world’s consumers, now and for generations to come. As a result, consumers will reward us with leadership sales, profit and value creation, allowing our people, our shareholders and the communities in which we live and work to prosper.
Yawn… Hardly the stuff which gets you out of bed, is it?
Compare that with Google:
(…) to provide access to the world’s information in one click.
Now that fires me up!
Here’s Wikipedia:
Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.
Hell yes!
And lastly Singularity University:
Our mission is to educate, inspire, and empower leaders to apply exponential technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges.
Count me in!
Developing a meaningful and deeply engaging purpose statement is one of the most powerful things you can do for your organization. And of course – you have to believe and fill it with life every single moment. Otherwise, it is just a nifty slogan.
What is your MTP?
P.S. Talking about MTPs – as many of you know, my wife Jane founded and built one of the largest pro-bono executive coaching networks for young women leaders in the impact space globally. Applications for our next cohort are open for the next week – apply now and/or spread the word!