Five Insights on Purpose-Led Leadership

As the U.S. rolls back its commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion under a newly reinstalled Trump administration, the need for authentic, purpose-led leadership has rarely felt more urgent. Companies around the world are being forced to decide: double down on purpose as a business imperative, or let social commitments quietly fade.

Against that backdrop, a recent event hosted by Boardwave and in collaboration with OakNorth brought together leaders from across the business and charity sectors to discuss how organisations can embed purpose into strategy in a way that drives real results. The conversation, chaired by Valentina Kristensen, Corporate Affairs Director at OakNorth Bank, featured panellists Dawn Marriott (Serial Chair, Hg), Isabel Kelly (Founder, Profit with Purpose), and Laura Burke (Head of Fundraising at Bookmark Reading Charity). The keynote came from Dr. John Blakey, executive coach and author of Force for Good.

Here are five standout lessons from the session.

1. Success with a conscience starts with authenticity

“If I had to sum up what makes purposeful leadership work, it is authenticity,” said Dawn Marriott, a former FTSE 100 COO who now is a Chair for several of Europe’s most successful companies. “You can’t fake this stuff. If you try to, people see straight through it.”

Purpose, she argued, has to be woven into the day-to-day running of the business. That includes how leaders communicate, how they lead meetings, and how consistently they show up in line with the organisation’s values.

“It’s not about soft leadership,” she added. “You can be commercially tough and still lead with kindness and purpose. Purpose is a powerful lever for driving growth - and it also helps you go home at the end of the day feeling like you’ve done something worthwhile.”

Just as importantly, purpose needs to be measured. Whether it’s volunteer hours, reading sessions delivered or Net Promoter Scores, companies should treat purpose with the same rigour they apply to financial KPIs.

2. Purpose must be part of your commercial model

Isabel Kelly, founder of Profit with Purpose, and responsible for launching the Salesforce Foundation in Europe, urged businesses to move beyond legacy-style CSR. “Gone are the days when a company could stick up a few art prints and call that their social impact,” she said. “It has to be material. It has to relate to what you actually do.”

In her view, the strongest purpose strategies are the ones that are budgeted for, linked to core operations, and actively used to guide decision-making. “If it’s not resourced, it’s not real,” she said.

And, as current processes stand, it’s increasingly not optional either. With government tenders and procurement processes now weighting social and environmental credentials more heavily than ever, purpose has become a commercial requirement as well as a cultural one.

3. Treat charity partnerships like strategic investments

“Pick your charity partners with the same level of due diligence as you would in an M&A transaction,” said Marriott. “You’re not just writing a cheque. You’re aligning your brand and your reputation with theirs.”

Laura Burke, who leads fundraising at the children’s literacy charity Bookmark, agreed. “Be really clear on what you want the partnership to achieve. Is it about employee engagement? Brand awareness? Community outreach? Set those goals together and be honest about them.”

One common pitfall, she said, is lack of buy-in at leadership level. “We’ve had companies come to us saying they want a third of their workforce to volunteer. But then no one actually shows up, because managers aren’t supporting it internally.”

Isabel Kelly added: “It’s a partnership, not patronage. Charities bring expertise that businesses don’t have. And they need to feel like respected collaborators, not beneficiaries.”

4. Hope is a leadership skill. And it takes practice.

Dr John Blakey, Author Force For Good

Dr. John Blakey opened his keynote with a challenge: in a world that feels increasingly dark, leaders have a responsibility to be visible sources of light.

“Hope isn’t fluffy,” he said. “It’s practical. It’s about discipline. It’s about how you protect your energy, your team and your purpose when things get hard.”

He shared two practical tools that he uses himself and with his clients. Every Sunday evening, he reviews his week ahead to check whether it aligns with his core values. “It’s not rocket science. But it’s a habit, and over time, those habits change how you lead.”

He also recommends a quarterly “radiators and drains” exercise, borrowed from the GB Olympic rowing team. “List the people, activities and responsibilities that lift you or your business up. Then list the ones that drain you. And make a plan to rebalance.”

5. Don’t wait for everyone to agree

Asked how to handle internal scepticism, Kelly didn’t hesitate. “You don’t need to care anymore - you have to comply.”

She was referring to the growing regulatory pressure we referenced earlier for companies to demonstrate their social and environmental impact, especially in supply chains and public sector work. “If you’re not doing this, you’re not winning business,” she said.

But compliance isn’t the full picture. Authenticity still matters, especially to younger employees. “They can sniff out performative purpose in seconds. If it’s not real, it’ll backfire.”

Final thought

In a country where just 17% of adults believe the next generation will be better off than they are, hope itself can feel like a radical act. But as Blakey reminded the room: “Inside every leader, there’s a force for good and a force for bad. Which one wins? The one you feed.”

Leading with purpose is a discipline and doesn’t have to come at the cost of margins. In fact, it can have tangible benefits - and for companies that want to thrive in the years ahead, it may well be the most valuable competitive advantage of all.

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