Defining Purpose & Flourishing
Last week, Greg and I attended the first annual convening of NYU’s Stern School of Business’ Initiative for Purpose & Flourishing. As Executive Director Suzy Welch (pictured above) welcomed the one hundred and fifty attendees, she framed the Initiative’s work as a desire to advance the understanding, discovery, and pursuit of purpose and flourishing for both organizations and individuals. The theme explored meaning, what purpose and flourishing looks like in 5-generation workplaces, and how purpose can be a foundation for a deeper, richer experience of work.
The presenters were engaging experts in the fields of psychology, organizational behavior, philosophy, leadership, and human flourishing, with most everyone sharing research and case studies.
A talk from Dr. Tessa West resonated with me as it connected to JLP’s Big Ears practice. Direct communication often eludes us said Dr. West, because people often lose their intention in the moment, falling back on synonyms and generalities, creating an underlying tension. As such, we adopt a “brittle smile,” as a result of suppressing our emotions.
Dr. Vijay Pendakur pointed out that employees are overwhelmed and therefore disengage. Belonging is his performance catalyst to address endless disruption. He offered three elements to establish belonging: being seen through ritualized recognition; connecting to the why to support resilience; and receiving support through belief-based feedback.
Dr. Zach Mercurio said that we languish because of a “mattering deficit.” He maintains that the quality of our interactions is key and that leaders should assume that people feel unseen and unheard, and thereby, act accordingly. He connects purpose to mattering through what he calls NAN: Notice by paying attention to details, Affirm an individual’s uniqueness as worthy and capable, and establish Need by making people feel irreplaceable.
These and other presentations confirmed the need for collective, social behavior to achieve purpose and flourishing. I was struck that, for the most part, the emphasis was on external interaction and validation. So, I was pleased when in the final conversation, Welch asked author and leadership consultant Jerry Colonna if the work to achieve purpose and flourishing needed to start from an internal place. His response was a resounding yes—that only when internal work crystallized should we move to the external work.
I also appreciated Jerry bringing up what he felt was missing throughout the afternoon’s conversations—an acknowledgment of the turmoil, angst, and suffering that many are dealing with in the world. When you are in survival mode, purpose and flourishing take a back seat.
L to R: Moderator, Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein, Jamel Qassas, Mai Shahin, Iris Gur, Avner Wishnitzer, Marcina Hale, and Steve Apkon
Which brings me to the screening of There Is Another Way that we attended the very same evening of the Purpose & Flourishing conference. Directed by Steve Apkon and produced by Marcina Hale of Reconsider, with Executive Producer James Cameron, the film continues the narrative from their 2010 documentary, Disturbing the Peace. Apkon and Hale reconnected with the group of Israelis and Palestinians called Combatants for Peace, who for the past twenty years have been striving to find a solution to their entrenched plight.
After the screening, Marcina and Steve were joined by four members of Combatants for Peace--two from Palestine and two from Israel: Avner Wishnitzer, co-founder of Combatants for Peace, formerly served in an IDF special force unit, Iris Gur, a former school principal and educator, has served as the Israeli Community Director at Combatants for Peace since 2021, Mai Shahin, a therapist and activist, and Jamel Qassas, born in the Deheisha refugee camp near Bethlehem and imprisoned for his activism thirteen times.
The anguish and despair that each felt after October 7th made them question whether they could continue the work to which they have dedicated themselves. Their emotions were raw and intense. Jamel declared to the group that now, in what seemed to be the darkest hour, the collective should stay together and reaffirm their purpose. As Avner stated, the vision they hold for peace and freedom is one that should be replicated around the globe.
The film provides an opportunity for us to step away from choosing sides with the colossal torment that it can bring and connects us to the humanity that is inherent to our very being. With extraordinary grace, the Combatants for Peace understand that purpose is choosing what brings meaning to our existence time and again.
In much the same way, Welch and Colonna concluded that trust, empathy, and dignity are the springboards for purpose and flourishing. We can choose in every moment.
