Zach’s Blog

4 Lessons on Connecting People to Purpose From NASA’s Moon Landing

zach-mercurio-purpose-work

It’s a familiar organizational leadership story. A well-intentioned leader reads a report on the researched power of purpose or sees a competitor doing it. He or she brings a group together to craft a purpose statement that is timeless, human-centered, far-reaching, and grand. The leader then “communicates” this purpose internally and externally hoping to inspire a sense of meaningfulness or … Read more

The Miracle of Shared Empathy

Empathy

“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?” – Henry David Thoreau [bctt tweet=”Empathy is contagious. #purpose #leadership” username=”ZachMercurio”] While waiting to board a recent flight with my two-year-old I stumbled on a travel-weary parent’s dream at the Dallas airport: an indoor play area. As … Read more

What 70 Bus Drivers Taught Me About Meaning

Meaning-Purpose-Work

“It’ll be a tough crowd,” one of the lead trainers warned before I spoke to over 70 school bus drivers and mechanics. “Most of them are only here for the paycheck – they won’t want to talk about this ‘purpose’ stuff,” another added. “It’s tough to get them motivated.” After my talk, the supervisors’ prophecies … Read more