What do double denim and purpose-led leaders have in common?

How about these three to kick us off…

–      Confidence

–      Boldness

–      To show others it’s okay to do something out there for others to follow

Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a push, but what really is purpose-led?

Yikes, that was far too many acronyms.

It’s not an acronym of company commitment like CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), EDI*, or ESG that helps tie back to the CEO, COO or CBO (Chief Brand Officer) year objectives.

For me, it’s simple.

It’s leaders who prioritise and care about the social impact of their business.

Of course, it’s the reason beyond making money, with an aligned passionate company culture, increased customer engagement and loyalty, and long-term stability, but do we really care about that?

If you do, many stats back this up, but stats don’t tell the full story.

Double denim leaders

Instead, think of all the big double denim companies out there that are leading the way.

Or TOMS, ”follows a One for One model, where for every pair of shoes sold, another pair is donated to a child in need.”

Here are a few, including Patagonia, who say, “We appreciate that all life on earth is under threat of extinction. We’re using the resources we have—our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations—to do something about it.”
Wow

Or even closer to home for me with Social Bite, “providing homes, jobs, food, and support to empower people to transform their own lives. A movement to end homelessness.”
Boom!

Why we care

These are all pretty cool examples, really it’s all because they care about their cause and the mission they are on and we, their tribe, care as:

Things to avoid are purpose-washing and going against your beliefs or values to compromise as we lose trust quickly; think of Nick Clegg when he joined forces with David Cameron; we lost trust overnight in Nick, sorry Nick.

• It’s emotional – the storytelling literally will bring tears to your eyes, well, definitely mine.
  
• It’s subconscious – our gut feeling knows to pick them over anyone else.
  
• It’s the fuzzy feeling – you know you’re doing something good. Like when you wake up on a Sunday without the alarm and have the whole day to yourself… plus the kids, your wife and your puppy 😁.
  

Four Great Models of Purpose

The book Conscious Capitalism discusses The Four Great Models of Purpose, and you can see how Patagonia and TOMS Shoes fall into these areas.

Where would yours fall?

• The Good: service to others, improving health, education.
  
• The True: Discovering and furthering human knowledge.
  
• The Beautiful: Excellence and creation of Beauty.
  
• The Heroic: Courage to do what is right to change and improve the world.

One quick thing I should point out…

I say leaders, as these are the changemakers you see wearing double denim, either figuratively speaking or in real life, driving positive change for other humans, the planet, or any creature that lives on it and beyond.

That’s it. Wait. I nearly forgot a key takeaway.

If you’ve not tried wearing double denim, give it a whirl. It could lead to increasing business growth and sustained reliance, and you might go to sleep much easier knowing you’re making a positive difference in the world.

Plus, you’ll look cool.

*Feel free to Google the rest of the acronyms 😁