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For years, brands looked at ‘purpose’ as an offshoot of their CSR agenda. But over time, the purpose became critical for accelerated growth. 

According to Deloitte Insights, 86% of people expect company CEOs to speak on societal issues. Additionally, 57% of customers globally are more loyal to brands that commit to addressing social inequities. Overall, purpose-driven organisations have an average of 25% higher customer satisfaction ratings than others. 

But purpose doesn’t affect only customers or a company’s bottom line – these companies are 50% more likely to retain top talent as well.

Kantar Consulting’s report, Inspiring Purpose-Led Growth, mentioned that companies and brands with a high commitment to purpose grow at twice the rate of others and experience a brand valuation increase of 175% over 12 years compared to a 70% growth rate for brands with a low sense of purpose. But despite this, only one in 10 leaders actually have a proper corporate purpose statement backed by robust plans. 

These facts point towards a critical need in new-age organisations: purposeful leadership for purpose-driven companies.  

Most leaders know that a strong corporate purpose delivers long-term growth but often don’t have the tools to implement an action plan. Finding a balance between profit and purpose is essential to truly grow. After all, this approach only leads to more meaningful work and business growth, making it a force multiplier. 

To help leaders crack the purpose code, ISB Executive Education brings its flagship programme, ‘CEO Dialogues: Leading with Purpose’. This two-day interactive workshop, to be held on May 18-20, 2023, is for mid-sized organisation CEOs to learn and have meaningful conversations with leaders like N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, and Alan Jope, Global CEO, Unilever, among others. 

CEO Dialogues: Leading with Purpose

The Indian School of Business (ISB) is a research-oriented, independent management institution that grooms future leaders for India and the world. The research-oriented resident faculty, strong academic associations with leading global B-schools, and the backing of an influential board have helped ISB Executive Education emerge as a premier international business school. 

The team is now bringing some of the most renowned leaders from globally iconic companies that have built purpose into their corporate DNA to share insights and best practices with participants. Twenty-five CEOs will get unfettered access to these leaders, which will help them craft and implement a shared purpose at the heart of their business model. 

What can CEOs expect from the programme?

• An understanding of why having a purpose at the heart of the business is good for business performance
• Lessons about industry best practices on leading with purpose
• Opportunities to interact with CEO peers
• Access to high-quality academic research on leading with purpose
• Guidance on sharpening their agenda on why and how to lead with purpose in their firm

A senior panel of experts from academia and the industry will carefully pick participants based on their profiles and invite them to the programme.

The Mentors 

CEOs will get access to some of the world’s leading industry practitioners and academic scholars who are globally recognised for purposeful leadership.

01.N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons: He joined the Board of Tata Sons in October 2016 and was appointed chairman in January 2017. Today, he helms growth for the iconic Tata companies with more than $100 billion in aggregate annual revenues.

02.Alan Jope, Global CEO, Unilever: He leads one of the world’s largest and most geographically diverse consumer goods businesses, with a presence in 190 countries, serving 3.4 billion people daily. He is a global pioneer and leader in purpose-driven business.

03. Harish Manwani, Senior Operating Partner, Blackstone: He is a leader at a leading investment firm known for investing in companies that create lasting value.

04. Ranjay Gulati, Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School: He comes with experience and global authority on corporate purposes.

05.Ram Nidumolu, Professor of Organisational Behaviour (Practice), Indian School of Business: An entrepreneur, consultant, and professor, he has advised senior executives at global corporations on how to unlock new opportunities for business growth through new models of business leadership, digital transformation, sustainable business innovation, and other following practices.

If you want to integrate purpose into your business plan: