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Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies Hardcover – February 8, 2022
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Forbes, Best Business Books of 2022
The Next Big Idea Club, Best Leadership Books of 2022
Thinkers50 Top 10 Best New Management Books for 2022
Axiom Award Bronze Medalist for Business Ethics
A distinguished Harvard Business School professor offers a compelling reassessment and defense of purpose as a management ethos, documenting the vast performance gains and social benefits that become possible when firms manage to get purpose right.
Few business topics have aroused more skepticism in recent years than the notion of corporate purpose, and for good reason. Too many companies deploy purpose, or a reason for being, as a promotional vehicle to make themselves feel virtuous and to look good to the outside world. Some have only foggy ideas about what purpose is and conflate it with strategy and other concepts like “mission,” “vision,” and “values.” Even well-intentioned leaders don’t understand purpose’s full potential and engage half-heartedly and superficially with it. Outsiders spot this and become cynical about companies and the broader capitalist endeavor.
Having conducted extensive field research, Ranjay Gulati reveals the fatal mistakes leaders unwittingly make when attempting to implement a reason for being. Moreover, he shows how companies can embed purpose much more deeply than they currently do, delivering impressive performance benefits that reward customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, and communities alike. To get purpose right, leaders must fundamentally change not only how they execute it but also how they conceive of and relate to it. They must practice what Gulati calls deep purpose, furthering each organization’s reason for being more intensely, thoughtfully, and comprehensively than ever before.
In this authoritative, accessible, and inspiring guide, Gulati takes readers inside some of the world’s most purposeful companies to understand the secrets to their successes. He explores how leaders can pursue purpose more deeply by
- navigating the inevitable tradeoffs more deliberately and effectively to balance between short- and long-term value;
- building purpose more systematically into every key organizational function to mobilize stakeholders and enhance performance;
- updating organizations to foster more autonomy and collaboration, which in turn allow individual employees to work more purposefully;
- using powerful storytelling to communicate a reason for being, arousing emotions and building a community of inspired and committed stakeholders; and
- building cultures that don’t merely support purpose, but also allow employees to link the corporate purpose to their own personal reasons for being.
As Gulati argues, a deeper engagement with purpose holds the key not merely to the well-being of individual companies but also to humanity’s future. With capitalism under siege and relatively low levels of trust in business, purpose can serve as a radically new operating system for the enterprise, enhancing performance while also delivering meaningful benefits to society. It’s the kind of inspired thinking that businesses—and the rest of us—urgently need.
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarper Business
- Publication dateFebruary 8, 2022
- Dimensions6 x 1.01 x 9 inches
- ISBN-100063088916
- ISBN-13978-0063088917
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
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Editorial Reviews
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“Brilliant and thought-provoking as ever, Ranjay Gulati applies scholarly rigor to the important topic of purpose. This book is a must-read for all leaders who wish to embark on or continue a journey toward a vibrant, high-performance business.” — Kasper Rorsted, CEO, Adidas
“Many leaders today strive to align purpose with financial success, but only a few succeed. Gulati analyzes the tough challenges that leaders everywhere must address if they are to save the planet while also delivering strong profits. He provides a compelling account of what it means to be purpose-driven—a crucial objective for us as well as other organizations in the social innovation space.” — Toshiaki Higashihara, Executive Chairman & CEO, Hitachi, Ltd.
“Leaders often invoke the rhetoric of corporate purpose to elevate their or their company’s image. But for the people who work in these companies, the search for purpose is a real and defining part of their professional life. Gulati’s book illustrates how the best leaders help employees discover a tangible link between the organization’s stated purpose and what they do on the job. It’s when people ‘come alive’ with a sense of purpose in their work that their motivation, energy, and creativity blossom.” — Kenneth Frazier, former CEO, Merck
“Many leaders give lip service to purpose, but few know how to create a compelling one. Ranjay Gulati is a preeminent scholar of organizational strategy, and in this book he shows what it takes to walk the talk on purpose. It’s an insightful, practical, and timely read on building a mission that serves employees, customers, and communities along with shareholders.” — Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife
“In this provocative and richly researched book, Ranjay Gulati argues that the pursuit of profits without purpose is no longer a sustainable business model. As he shows, the road to high performance, for both individuals and companies, depends on deepening our connection to enduring and essential human values. If you want to be inspired to build more sustainable organizations, Deep Purpose should be your next read.” — Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global
“Purpose isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ in the business world anymore. It’s a ‘must-have.’ Purpose-driven organizations will lead the future, and Ranjay Gulati’s Deep Purpose is essential reading for anyone who wants to be at the head of the pack. This comprehensive guide breaks down why cultivating purpose isn’t just the right thing for businesses to do—it’s the smart thing, too.” — Carmine Di Sibio, Global Chairman and CEO, EY
“Deep Purpose points to the conversations we must have right now about how to redefine the role of business in society, restore trust, and enhance our license to operate. As Gulati rightly argues, the winning formula is moral leadership and a multistakeholder model with purpose at its core. It entails both leadership and systems transformation. Highly recommended.” — Paul Polman, former CEO, Unilever
“Pursuing a purpose as a company means arriving at a clear understanding of what you were put on this planet to do. It helps you steer in the right direction, navigate tradeoffs, and, when connected to a social or personal purpose, it can inspire remarkable performance. Deep Purpose peels back the layers to unveil what it truly takes to cultivate a purpose-driven culture, one that enables both the company and its employees to experience its power and benefit from the growth it can generate.” — Corie Barry, CEO, Best Buy
Where Gulati's book shines is in its emphasis on putting people and the health of the planet first. Doing so isn’t naïve, he says, but rather brace and necessary in today’s rapidly changing world. — SUCCESS magazine
“In this short guide, Harvard Business School’s Ranjay Gulati offers plenty of useful advice about how leaders can set a principled course for their businesses.” — Financial Times
“Deep Purpose will not be the last book to claim to show leaders the way, but it stands out as a thoughtful account of the dilemmas, trade-offs and pitfalls of moving beyond the pure-profit imperative, and how to overcome them.” — Financial Times
About the Author
Ranjay Gulati is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor and the former Unit Head of the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. He is former chair of the Advanced Management Program, the flagship senior leader executive program, at the school. He is the author of numerous books and has been a frequent guest on CNBC and other media outlets. He also has served on the advisory boards of several entrepreneurial ventures. Professor Gulati holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, a master’s degree in management from M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management, and two bachelor’s Degrees, in Computer Science and Economics, from Washington State University and St. Stephen's College, New Delhi. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.
Product details
- Publisher : Harper Business (February 8, 2022)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0063088916
- ISBN-13 : 978-0063088917
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.01 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #168,886 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #324 in Systems & Planning
- #1,580 in Business Management (Books)
- #2,258 in Leadership & Motivation
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Ranjay Gulati is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor and the former Unit Head of the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. Until recently, he chaired the Advanced Management Program, the flagship senior leader executive program, at the school.
Professor Gulati studies how “resilient” organizations—those that prosper both in good times and bad—drive growth and profitability. His work bridges strategy (establishing clear strategic pillars for growth), organizational design (reimagining purposeful and collaborative organizational systems), and leadership (fostering inspired, courageous and caring execution).
Professor Gulati was ranked as one of the top ten most cited scholars in Economics and Business over a decade by ISI-Incite. The Economist, Financial Times, and the Economist Intelligence Unit have listed him as among the top handful of business school scholars whose work is most relevant to management practice. His research has been published in leading academic journals of business, the Harvard Business Review, and a range of other outlets. He is the author of a number of books. He has been a frequent guest on CNBC and other media outlets.
Professor Gulati advises and speaks to corporations large and small around the globe. He also frequently leads small-group workshops focused on helping leadership teams of high-growth companies enhance the growth trajectory of their businesses. Some of his representative speaking and consulting clients include: Abbott Laboratories, Adidas, Aetna, Allergan, Bank of America, Bank of China, Baxter, Berkshire Partners, Blackrock, Boston Scientific, Bristol Myers Squibb, Brown Brothers Harriman, Caterpillar, Credit Suisse, Expedia, Ford, GE, General Mills, Google, Henkel, Hitachi, Honda, Hospira, IBM, Iron Mountain, Kellogg Company, Keybank, KPMG, LaFarge, Lockheed Martin, Merck, Metlife, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Novartis, Ochsner, P & G, Qualcomm, Sanofi, SAP, Target, Temasek, Unilever, and Vertex. He has served on the advisory boards of several entrepreneurial ventures and has appeared as an expert witness in business litigations.
Professor Gulati holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, a Master’s Degree in Management from M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management, and two Bachelor’s Degrees, in Computer Science and Economics, from Washington State University and St. Stephens College, New Delhi, respectively. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.
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Customers find the book provides valuable insights and is a great read. They describe it as relevant, important, and thought-provoking on strategy and culture. Readers also mention it's a must-read for businesses looking to build and grow their business in this ESG context.
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Customers find the book's insights relevant and thought-provoking. They describe it as the most important book on strategy and culture they've read in years. The author provides great examples and a roadmap for leaders to develop deep purpose.
"...relationships, develops an authentic reputation, and motivates employees and trade partners to expend effort towards achieving high performance...." Read more
"...Ranjay Gulati has done an exceptional job looking at this topic in detail, giving great examples, going deep into implementation and the benefit it..." Read more
"...content is in here, but that wouldn’t be fair because it has great insights. So I’m giving it 4 stars, although it’s a 3 star experience...." Read more
"..." by Ranjay Gulati and found it utterly fascinating, extremely relevant for our times, and (based on my life experiences and study of history) 100%..." Read more
Customers find the book readable and valuable. They say it's a must-read for businesses looking to build and grow their business in ESG. However, some readers feel the book is too long.
"...This is like a text book I would love to teach at all colleges. I have read several books over the years and this is the best one...." Read more
"...Overall a valuable book...." Read more
"...If you are responsible for the strategy in your company, this is a must-read book to understand the dynamics of committing to fulfilling a higher..." Read more
"...A very original and worthwhile read with case studies on Etsy, Livongo, Mahindra Group and other diverse companies...." Read more
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- Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2022Ranjay Gulati's book "Deep Purpose" is a tour de force that illustrates why and how truly successful businesses are moral enterprises, resulting from productivity, integrity and a sense of purpose. The book is a must read for current and aspiring leaders who are committed to "making the world a better place, by doing something important to themselves." While the first part of this purpose statement is now a cliche given its overuse and superficial grandiosity, Deep Purpose reminds us it need not be so if you connect this aspiration to your own values.
The "why" of deep purpose begins with identifying the values--the soul--embodied in an organization's purpose. With purpose in the driver's seat, one can then reject its false dichotomy with profit. Gulati masterfully blends years of thought leadership in academia with rich field work to illuminate how leaders can and have leveraged businesses to solve thorny problems and scale these solutions for lasting impact. Deep Purpose illustrates how purpose with profit can integrate "commercial logic" with "social logic." Using the principles of Deep Purpose, leaders of "profit first" can move their organizations from doing well to also doing good. Equally important, leaders of "Good Samaritans" can unleash their good by harnessing profit and market principles.
Inspiring us with the "why," Deep purpose also delivers on the "how." It abandons the "nirvana fallacy" of idealists and injects healthy realism of how to make difficult decisions when commercial and social logics seemingly conflict with each other. The art of the tradeoff provides useful lessons on how leaders prioritize and achieve the long-term achievement of purpose in crafting their strategy. Gulati showcases how deep purpose provides four levers for profitability: it creates a north star, helps create and sustain long term relationships, develops an authentic reputation, and motivates employees and trade partners to expend effort towards achieving high performance. And in so doing, it aligns all stakeholders towards win-win outcomes rather than adopting an "us" vs. "them" mindset.
If you are interested in why and how you can be a force of good in the world, Deep Purpose is a must-read for you.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2022I am a believer and practitioner of helping create more Purposeful Organizations for the last 2 decades. I have seen Purpose used as a marketing tag line. Yet I know when Purpose is implemented the right way like described in this book as Deep Purpose, it works wonders. It is good for all stakeholders including our planet. Ranjay Gulati has done an exceptional job looking at this topic in detail, giving great examples, going deep into implementation and the benefit it brings. This is like a text book I would love to teach at all colleges. I have read several books over the years and this is the best one. I know as an author myself how much work goes into this kind of a book so I am grateful this book exists now and I will definitely use a lot of references in it. Thank you Ranjay for this great gift to us all.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2024Book has some amazing insights, but it’s unnecessarily lengthy. It could have been half the length. I would have given it 3 stars just due to how much unnecessary content is in here, but that wouldn’t be fair because it has great insights. So I’m giving it 4 stars, although it’s a 3 star experience.
In summary: great insights, but you’ll have to read through a lot of unnecessary information to get them.
For the authors: if you had structured it better, kept is clear and concise, focusing on the main insights, it would have been a solid 5 stars.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2022Just finished "Deep Purpose" by Ranjay Gulati and found it utterly fascinating, extremely relevant for our times, and (based on my life experiences and study of history) 100% true. It's chock full of wisdom and practical insights. It contains many case studies of CEO's and companies across such various industries and organizations as Indra Nooyi at PepsiCo, Jorgen Vig Knudstorp at LEGO, Robert Mueller at the FBI, and many others. Gulati's research encompasses the private sector and government, and spans multiple countries and cultures. What he uncovers are the practices, tools, and insights leaders use to lead their organizations with true and meaningful purpose: "deep purpose." I personally found the chapter on "Looking Back to Go Forward" to be particularly insightful and relevant yet it seems to go against much of the grain we see these days in modern business (and government) thinking, where many view the past as a sea anchor to progress and not as a reservoir of wisdom from which a leader can "detect" the true purpose of their organization and inspire their people to new levels of performance. The case study of Knudstorp and his tenure at LEGO was brilliant and my favorite part of the book, although I tabbed many sections to come back to for more reflection and insight. For example, one of the more surprising suggestions / practices Gulati proposes is for leaders to write out their own history of their organization to help them further develop and refine their "big story," thus enabling them to better communicate the organization's purpose to multiple stakeholders, creating trust and building a strong moral community in the process. It's very refreshing to see these types of practices emerge from Gulati's exhaustive research, and I expect this book to have a significant impact among leaders across many fields. This is an inspiring and useful resource that will help leaders detect and strengthen the "soul" of their organizations!
- Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2024Ranjay Gulati defines the best methodology to stop having to find ways to motivate productivity by defining the ways that firms with Deep Purpose become talent magnets beside MANY other intelligent lessons to build an inspiring firm that creates value above and beyond simple profits. Deeply inspirational!
Top reviews from other countries
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JoseReviewed in Mexico on August 12, 2024
2.0 out of 5 stars Buenas ideas pero muy pesado de leer.
Las ideas que presentan son muy buenas. La redacción es compleja, aburrida y muy lenta. Un libro muy pesado de leer.
- Tiziana CasciaroReviewed in Canada on July 23, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars A call business leaders must heed
In 2019, the Business Roundtable, a gathering of CEOs of most major U.S. corporations, made a grand proclamation about committing to creating value not just for shareholders but for all stakeholders, including customers and society at large. Yet, when COVID started spreading in 2020, companies that signed the Business Roundtable statement fired their employees 20 percent more than those that did not sign the statement. They were also less likely to donate to relief efforts, offer discounts to customers, or shift production to pandemic-related goods. With such hypocrisy still rampant, we need every reminder that pursuing social and environmental goals alongside financial ones is no longer optional. It is essential to our collective future. Ranjay Gulati offers his reminder from the rare vantage point of a highly accomplished management scholar who truly understand the logic of business (as opposed to being removed from it in the ivory tower), and can therefore articulate the logic of "deep purpose" in ways that stand the chance to resonate with business leaders. May they read this book and heed its call!
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FELIPE ALCANTARAReviewed in Brazil on May 2, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
Ótima qualidade do produto e prazo
- Albena BjoerckReviewed in Germany on July 14, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Moving, insightful and actionable
"Deep purpose" is a moving and exceptionally insightful report on a topic that is often difficult to grasp: Corporate Purpose. It is currently marketed as a new way of thinking about company management and is increasingly used in practice and academia. It is promising multiple economic advantages, but its implementation remains challenging for management: The concept is still misunderstood and not easily integrated into the corporate processes. And here Ranjay Gulati shares emotional and personal, but impactful stories of leaders, teams and organizations that reinvented themselves by implementing purpose. Furthermore, Gulati shows a broader and authentic understanding of purpose, thus overcoming the limiting proposition that purpose can be only or predominantly social. He sets purpose in connection to competitive advantage and deep transformation, pathing the way to a new understanding in strategic and change management. (Albena Björck, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, ZHAW School of Management and Law and Track Chair Purpose-Driven Strategies at the European Academy of Management)
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Simon RotelliReviewed in Italy on November 19, 2022
4.0 out of 5 stars Grande ispirazione !
Una tesi molto semplice: solo gli imprenditori animati da una mission si trasformano in veri leader e le loro aziende in icone.
Le ragioni, spesso intuitive, sono molteplici e ben spiegate nel libro, anche grazie al ricorso ad alcuni casi pratici, sempre troppo pochi rispetto alle aspettative del lettore.
Alcuni concetti vengono ripetuti troppe volte, e il riassunto alla fine di ogni capitolo deve essere molto più sintetico, altrimenti scatta la noia.
Ottimo libro, ottimo tema, alla lunga un pò trito.