Recently I discussed The Power of Nice and the difference simple, unexpected, acts of kindness can make.
Since then, I’ve heard the inspiring story of Dave.
Upon leaving school, Dave had the chance to manage a branch of a well-known coffee shop. That might sound, almost, glamorous. But it came with a caveat. Even though it was in the heart of Toronto’s financial district, this particular outlet had always struggled. Dave had to make a success of the branch within 12 months, or it would close.
Dave promised himself that his coffee shop was going to become the beating heart of a community; people would want to be part of their story.
For the next year, Dave did everything he could to take the initiative and make his branch succeed. He instilled his vision into his team and, together, they tried many different ideas.
Then, on a hot summer day in August, a power outage took out the North East of the USA and Canada, leaving commuters struggling in the heat. Their initial thought was to close for the day, but Dave and his team decided they could do something better. So, they stayed open.
Hot, tired and thirsty commuters were allowed to use their bathrooms and the team provided them with iced water to cool down. This generosity wasn’t restricted to those who came in. The team went out onto the street to make sure that everyone had access to cooling refreshments and directions to their bathrooms.
The power outage lasted 4 days and, throughout, Dave’s team were there to help and support the commuters of Toronto.
The result?
Dave’s store massively exceeded their $1m target. Perhaps even more importantly, the team were awarded a medal by the city for their efforts and their commitment to helping the citizens of Toronto.
Sixteen years later, Dave shares his Purpose-Based Leadership model. As the graphic shows, at its heart, Purpose Based Leadership requires a clear vision based on Where, What, When and Why.
This vision is achieved by succeeding in three distinct areas:
- Strategy and engagement.
- Communications and planning.
- Measuring and managing.
Dave argues that achieving great results in each category is key to team success.
If you input any of those search key words into Managers’ Library, you’ll find a host of great ideas to learn from. Here are a few of my favourites:
I would love to hear your success stories!
Frances