-: This will be our last month
of the Two Minutes on Tuesday series,
and I thought I'd invoke some executive privilege
and do these final four segments myself.
Each week, I'll share a video in which I talk
about a theme that's been central to my thinking
as I wind up my tenure as BCG's CEO.
Because these are some of the topics
I'm the most passionate about,
I may very well break my own rule with a few of these videos
and go slightly over the two minutes.
I hope you'll understand.
Today, I want to talk about purpose.
The idea that corporations should have a purpose
beyond delivering value to shareholders
was not something widely talked about ten years ago,
or even five years ago.
Now it's central to so many of the conversations I have
with other business leaders, how to engage
and energize our organizations,
and how we think about our legacies.
At a time of so much societal, environmental,
health, geopolitical, and economic stress,
we know that companies
and company leaders are judged sharply by how they behave,
how they manage the continuing fallout
from COVID-19, for example, or their commitment
to addressing longstanding racial inequities,
or the urgency with which they tackle climate change.
More than five years ago, we started two major workstreams
at BCG, mapping out our firm-wide strategy
for the coming years, and then following that,
excavating and articulating our purpose,
leveraging the unique skills of BCG BrightHouse.
The strategy work was incredibly powerful
and core to our actions for two to three years,
but then, as the world changed and BCG changed,
that strategy needed to evolve.
On the other hand, the purpose work has stood the test
of time and become even more relevant
as the world has changed and become more challenging.
Our purpose is captured simply:
unlocking the potential of those who advance the world,
And it's supported by five pillars:
bring insight to light; drive inspired impact;
conquer complexity; lead, with integrity;
and grow by growing others.
These 25 words,
our purpose and the principles that underpin it,
represent our essence, why we exist,
and how we contribute differentially to the world.
When companies put in the effort to understand, articulate,
and bring their purpose to life,
they can help focus, align, and encourage
and lift all members of an organization
and have a positive impact on the world,
delivering sustained value to all.
Thank you for joining me and see you next week.