Thinking Beyond Purpose: Denise Lee Yohn, Adam Bryant & Steven Morris

Thinking Beyond Purpose: Denise Lee Yohn, Adam Bryant & Steven Morris


On 11/1/22 I hosted an Author 3-Way Conversation with Denise Lee Yohn, and Adam Bryant. It was a thoughtful and forward-thinking conversation where we primarily explored what purpose means, does, and what might lay beyond purpose. Topics we explored included the following:

  • How the “altitude” of your purpose affects its ability to be impactful and believable.
  • The lower the altitude of your purpose is, the more likely it is to create the desired impact.
  • Make sure there are no integrity gaps between your brand, strategy, purpose, and values.
  • Ways business leaders can evolve their thinking from “lofty (high-altitude) purpose” to “impact statements” – or from intent to outcomes.
  • Attach purpose accountability metrics that serve as evidence you are fulfilling it.
  • An exploration of who should be involved in shaping and/or living up to your purpose.
  • How purpose is playing a role in the post-Pandemic world.
  • Ways to think about how your purpose works in your culture.

A huge thanks to Denise Lee Yohn and Adam Bryant for stepping into this conversation and sharing your valuable insights and wisdom.

About the speakers

Denise Lee Yohn

Denise Lee Yohn is the go-to expert on brand leadership for national media outlets, an in-demand keynote speaker and consultant, and an influential writer.

Denise is the author of the bestselling books What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building Principles that Separate the Best from the Rest and FUSION: How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World’s Greatest Companies.


Adam Bryant

Adam Bryant is managing director of The ExCo Group, a senior leadership development and executive mentoring firm. Prior to joining The ExCo Group, Adam worked for 30 years as a journalist, including 18 years as a reporter, editor and columnist at The New York Times. He interviewed more than 500 CEOs for “Corner Office,” a series on leadership that he created in 2009. He continues to conduct leadership interviews on LinkedIn—with CEOsboard directorsprominent Black executives and chief human resources officers—that have more than 200,000 subscribers. He also writes a monthly column for Strategy+Business magazine and is the Senior Advisor to the Reuben Mark Initiative for Organizational Character and Leadership at Columbia University.

Adam is the author of three books based on the themes that have emerged from his interviews and consulting work. His most recent book is THE CEO Test: Master the Challenges that Make or Break All Leaders, published by Harvard Business Review Press.


Steven Morris

Steven Morris is an expert brand and culture builder, advisor, author, and speaker. He has worked with 300+ brands including Samsung, Sony, Habitat for Humanity, Amazon, International Trademark Association, NFL, and MLB. Over his 27 years as an entrepreneur, he’s served more than 3,000 global business leaders.

His new book is entitled The Beautiful Business: An Actionable Manifesto to Create an Unignorable Business with Love at the Core has been dubbed as “The artist’s way for business leaders.”

He reaches 25,000+ readers through his blog and writes about branding, culture, leadership, and the intersection between work and life as a contributing writer for Retail Observer, Wisdom Well, Business Week, Brand Week, Conscious Company Magazine, Communication Arts, HOW Magazine and MarketingProfs.

When he is not supporting leaders in building beautiful brands and businesses, Steven explores his wholehearted participation with life as a husband, father, artist, surfer, motorcyclist, and beekeeper.

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