Dan Pontefract - The Purpose Effect

Early praise for The Purpose Effect

As the sense of meaning in the corporate world continues to plummet, the shortage of clear and comprehensive thinking on solutions has become acute. Dan Pontefract rides to the rescue with The Purpose Effect, providing a well-argued and detailed framework for organizations and their people to find and maintain their purpose sweet spot.

Roger L. Martin, author and Institute Director, Martin Prosperity Institute, Rotman School of Management

The Purpose Effect helps individuals and leaders connect the dots between the personal, professional, and organizational. Dan Pontefract makes a strong case that we shouldnt check our core values in life at the office door.

Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals

A compelling thesis on how purpose can drive not only personal fulfillment but also lead to more stable, cohesive and higher performing organizations. The Purpose Effect is a must-read for any who doubt the impact of purpose on organizational stability and performance.

Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever

Purpose has never been more important in the world. If the workplace is truly going to be 100% human, it has to start with purpose, for individuals and for the organisation. Dan Pontefract takes you on a journey on how to make this a reality for yourself and your organisation.

Jean Oelwang, President and Trustee, Virgin Unite

We are at a momentous inflection point. Income inequality, plummeting levels of trust in major institutions, the disillusionment of a generation of young people and a sense that for many, the future is going to be less secure and predictable than the past are leading to a deep hunger for fresh ideas for a new social compact. The Purpose Effect presents a marvelous and optimistic approach to achieving this. For many who are discouraged by the emptiness of organizational life, this readable, practical guide is an antidote to disengagement and cynicism at work and in society. I am delighted to see such a powerful guide to how each of us can proactively take charge of making sure that our lives have meaning.

Rita Gunther McGrath, Associate Professor, Columbia Business School and author of The End Of Competitive Advantage

Hollywood and popular literature would lead you to believe that big business and a meaningful life dont mix. Not so, says Dan Pontefract. When we align our purpose with that of our job and our organization, we can have, as Studs Terkel said, astonishment rather than torporlife rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying. Read The Purpose Effect to find your astonishment.

Karie Willyerd, author of The 2020 Workplace and Stretch, Workplace Futurist, SAP SuccessFactors

Dan Pontefract brings us back to the principles of purpose. The Purpose Effect helps professionals and leaders from all sectors know how to connect the dots between purpose and positive results.

Don Tapscott, author, CEO of The Tapscott Group Inc., and Inaugural Fellow, Martin Prosperity Institute, Rotman School of Management

In our quest to grow our careers, advance and develop our skills, we often forget the importance of purpose. The Purpose Effect is a wonderful book that reminds us how important it is to look within, and find purpose in our jobs, careers and organizations.

Josh Bersin, HR Industry Analyst, Principal and Founder, Bersin by Deloitte

Purpose mobilizes people in a way that profits alone never will. Dan Pontefracts The Purpose Effect shows why and how, lifting the discussion of this crucial ingredient to a whole new level of clarity.

Herminia Ibarra, The Cora Chaired Professor of Leadership and Learning, INSEAD and author of If You Act Like A Leader You Will Think Like A Leader

Dan Pontefract raises the discussion of purpose to the next level using his three-category model with the sweet spot, looking at it holistically and its impact on individuals, organizations and society as a whole. This book is loaded with examples that take it from what might seem as a nice-to-have, to a must-have in order to maximize impact, engagement and contribution.

Tony Bingham, President and Chief Executive Officer, Association for Talent Development

Building on the insights into organizational culture that he developed in Flat Army, Dan Pontefract takes us on a journey that explores one of the most fundamental questions of the ages: how do we make our lives matter? Through sharing his personal experiences and those of many others, Dan makes a compelling case for the need to align our personal values with those of the organizations where we choose to work and the roles we perform. The result is not only personal fulfilment, but also superior organizational performance and societal progress.

Saul Klein, Dean & Lansdowne Professor of International Business at the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria

Individuals spend a significant majority of their adult lives at work. Looking in the mirror at the end of a day, month and year should result in recognition that the time investment has been worthwhile at a very human level. This requires intrinsic attention to purpose and meaning from each of us, individually, and as teams and communities. In The Purpose Effect Dan Pontefract shares years of wisdom for how to cultivate this sweet spot leading to more individual and organizational satisfaction and success.

Karen Kocher, Chief Learning Officer, Cigna

Dan Pontefract provides a powerful framework to make work deeply fulfilling and productive for the most valuable members of the workforce, those that are purpose-oriented.

Aaron Hurst, Chief Executive Officer, Imperative and author of The Purpose Economy

Engagement research is clear: people want to work for a purpose, not just a paycheck. The Purpose Effect should be required reading for anyone who wants to find and develop meaning in their life, their role and throughout their company. A great read for anyone who is looking to get the most from their career and life.

Kevin Kruse, New York Times bestselling author of Employee Engagement 2.0

The Purpose Effect should become a go-to resource for all leaders who want to drive a purposeful and meaningful organizational culture. The ever-changing workplace demands direction for how to encourage people to live out their purpose; this book explains how to do so in a way that positively impacts the individual, workplace and overall organization.

Meghan M. Biro, Founder and CEO, TalentCulture

The separation of personal purpose from our professional lives limits our perception of success. In examining the benefits of uniting personal and professional with organizational purpose, Dan Pontefract has built a three-legged machine around the principles of purpose.

Faisal Hoque, founder of SHADOKA and author of Everything Connects and Survive to Thrive

The separation of personal purpose from our professional lives limits our perception of success. For leaders who want to understand how employee purpose impacts an organization, The Purpose Effect stands alone as a guiding instrument.

Jeff Booth, Co-Founder, President and CEO of BuildDirect

Dan Pontefracts The Purpose Effect is a challenge to both the worker and the leader to find the winning trifecta-a combination of a personal sense of purpose, an organizational purpose and a role purpose.

Dee Ann Turner, VP, Chick-fil-A and author of Its My Pleasure

With The Purpose Effect, Dan Pontefract addresses a key organizational and human challenge for todays leaders. As Peter Drucker noted already in his early writings on management, the purpose and meaning that organizations convey are not only essential for economic performance but represent a key contribution to the coherence of society.