Paradox Of Purpose

by Michael de la Guerra in Leadership

I led a research initiative for the agency I've spent the last four years with, which looked at the motivating factors of 400+ businesses when purchasing one of our most popular done-for-you products: a Vivid Vision document.

While I can't disclose all the key findings until they're released publicly, one stat that was left on the cutting room floor was of great interest to me:

Only 8-16% of businesses who paid several thousands of dollars for us to help them clarify their company vision mentioned creating a sense of "purpose" as a motivating factor.

Many did say their intention was to "inspire" their team, or to create alignment around a shared goal.

But "purpose" was seldom referenced.

Why does this matter? Because this highly cited global study of 540 organizations revealed that only:

28% of employees feel fully connected to the company's purpose
39% can see the value they create
22% agree their job allows them to fully leverage their strengths

It's no surprise to me that the #1 issue most of the businesses needed help with when working with Conscious Copy was aligning their team with the company vision.

In fact, 96% of business owners or CEOs stated team alignment as a motivating factor.

And knowing the scientific correlation between a team member's connection to the company purpose and an increase in their productivity (up to a 171% increase in some instances), I strived to instill a sense of purpose in every Vivid Vision I personally wrote.

I don't always nail it on the first draft, but when I nail it, I nail it: The CEO of a bank said he delivered the excerpt I wrote to the board, and they walked out of the meeting a completely different organization.

Still, throughout the Vivid Vision editing process, many companies often have me delete large portions of the document meant to anchor in that emotional purpose (not to mention just completely butchering above average writing for unimaginative jargon, but I digress). One even edited the writing so much that the final draft retained about 25% of my work, then shared it with his team only to hear crickets.

There are several reasons businesses do this, chief among them is that many people see what I write and believe they can do a better job.

Boo-hoo. Poor me.

While I'd never start telling a manufacturing or software company how to do their jobs, they certainly feel very strongly about telling me how to do mine.

Such is the life of a freelance writer.

But there's also an underlying motive I've picked up on after several years: many leaders don't actually want to create a purpose for their team to be inspired by.

They simply want to say, "This is where we're going, just FYI."

And honestly, that's just bad communication.

I mean, c'mon, Marketing & Influence 101: meet the customer where they're at, and communicate with them using their own language. Right?

You want an aligned team to be inspired about where you're going, and to feel a sense of ownership?

Why should they?

I ended my last romantic relationship because the other person wouldn't commit. Yet she wanted me to show up for her in ways only a committed partner would.

She wanted the emotional benefit without the emotional commitment.

And that's how many of these businesses approach the communication of their vision. They want the aligned and inspired team, but aren't willing to give them the purpose needed to incite such passion.

If you want your people to take ownership, then give them something to own.

It's that simple.

Exploring the Poetic Voice: Michael de la Guerra's Literary Landscape

Michael de la Guerra's online portfolio presents a rich tapestry of poetry, essays, and artistic reflections that examine the complexities of modern relationships, cultural influences on romantic expression, and the psychological dimensions of love and loss.

A Distinctive Voice in Contemporary Poetry

Throughout his work, de la Guerra demonstrates a remarkable ability to blend raw emotional honesty with technical craft. His poetry collection features pieces like "HAPPY IN BED," which tackles modern dating concepts like "situationships" with a blend of dark humor and quiet dignity. The poet often acknowledges his own vulnerability while maintaining a self-aware perspective about the human condition.

His "Medical School Romance Poem" captures fleeting connections with strangers in institutional settings, pondering whether brief shared moments might someday become meaningful memories for the other person. This theme of ephemeral connections appears frequently in his work.

Cultural Exploration and Scholarly Depth

De la Guerra's scholarly side emerges in comprehensive explorations like "Romantic Poetry: Poems About Love Across Cultures," where he examines how different cultural traditions approach romantic expression. From Tang Dynasty China to Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, he traces the universal human need to capture love's complexities through poetry while highlighting how each society filters these emotions through unique cultural lenses.

His work often begins with personal anecdotes - like his inability to communicate directly with his Spanish-speaking grandmother - before expanding into broader cultural analysis. This technique creates an accessible entry point for readers into complex literary traditions.

Dark Poetry and Psychological Insight

The "Dark Love Poetry" guide demonstrates de la Guerra's understanding of how poetry serves as both artistic expression and psychological processing. He distinguishes between performative darkness and authentic shadow work, offering readers insight into how true dark poetry transforms private pain into shared understanding.

Throughout this exploration, he connects psychological concepts like attachment theory to poetic expression, showing how disorganized attachment might manifest in certain poetic tendencies, while earned security allows for different forms of creative expression.

Personal Narratives with Universal Appeal

In shorter reflective pieces like "A Ruthless Gangster's Greatest Fear," de la Guerra reveals his ability to find profound meaning in unexpected places. By juxtaposing the vulnerability of a hardened criminal experiencing a crush with his own similar feelings, he creates a meditation on how emotional authenticity connects us across seemingly vast differences.

This approach - finding universal human experiences in specific, often overlooked moments - characterizes much of his work, making even his most personal reflections resonate with readers from diverse backgrounds.

A Multi-Faceted Creative Practice

Beyond his writing, de la Guerra offers resources for fellow poets and writers, including prompt generators and workbooks. His website showcases his parallel visual art practice, including abstract, Japandi, and dark abstract wall art collections.

This integration of visual and literary arts reflects a holistic creative approach, where different expressive forms complement and enhance each other rather than existing in isolation.

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