The Most Powerful Way To Create More Ease and Flow In Your Business
For the last three years, I’ve had the joy and privilege of supporting speakers as they step on the TEDx stage, and one of the parts I love best is watching a speaker boldly share their big idea with the world.
The concept of big ideas worth sharing is often associated with TED Talks, where speakers share their unique and innovative ideas with a global audience. However, the concept of the big idea can also be powerfully applied to your business.
Your big idea, or the purpose of your business, provides the entire organization with a sense of direction, meaning, and motivation that goes beyond just making a profit. Your big idea gives your business a reason for existing beyond financial gain and provides a sense of fulfillment to every stakeholder in your ecosystem.
In today’s article, we’ll explore 5 reasons having a strong and clearly articulated big idea can translate to business success and help your organization achieve more ease and flow.
Clear Purpose And Direction
Having a clearly articulated big idea that you’re passionate about, gives your business a clear direction and purpose. It provides a vision that you, your employees, and other stakeholders can rally around and work towards. This vision for the world can serve as a guiding light for the company, helping to align everyone's efforts, ensure you’re all working towards a common goal, and reduce complexity and confusion. It also helps you stay focused on your long-term goals and priorities by providing a clear roadmap for the future.
Without a big idea, companies can easily lose focus and become mired in day-to-day tasks that don't contribute to long-term success. This is where activities often feel untethered, disjoined, and lacking cohesion, resulting in overwhelm and stress.
Aligns All Activities And Resources
Your big idea helps you, as the founder and leader of the business, align all your business activities and resources towards that common goal. This alignment creates a sense of unity and coherence, leading to a more cohesive organization. If you have employees, this is extra important because studies clearly show that when employees are working towards a purpose they believe in, they tend to be more engaged, committed, and motivated, which leads to higher levels of productivity, creativity, and innovation.
Differentiation and Your Competitive Advantage
Knowing and living out your big idea, your deep purpose, allows you to stand out in a crowded market. Consumers are increasingly looking for companies that align with their values and beliefs. By having a big idea that resonates with your customers, businesses are more easily able to attract and build a loyal following of customers who share the same values and beliefs.
“Social value is a competitive differentiator – integrating it into your brand maximizes the value you offer beyond mere customer satisfaction. It allows you to connect with your customer on an emotional level – fulfilling a sense of belonging, or engaging with them through their personal life experiences… it motivates a consumer to choose a company that has a giveback or serves a greater purpose outside of the standard transaction,” says Sydney Petite, CSO of Royal Street Agency, a communications agency.
In today's very crowded and noisy marketplace, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd, but by developing and executing on your business’s big idea, you can create a unique identity that sets you apart from your competitors.
Navigating Through Hard Times
Having a deep purpose can help your business navigate through difficult times. In a 2020 study by EY, “How purpose-driven companies perform in a crisis: A global analysis of purpose in the COVID-19 era,” found that purpose-driven companies were more likely to experience positive business outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, including higher revenue growth, employee retention, and innovation. The study also found that purpose-driven companies were more likely to make long-term investments in areas such as sustainability and employee well-being, which may have helped to position them for future success.
When faced with challenges, businesses with a clear sense of purpose tend to be more resilient and adaptive. They’re better equipped to make tough decisions and persevere through adversity, ultimately leading to long-term success.
Creating Thought Leadership
Your big idea can help establish you and your business as a thought leader in your industry. When you’re passionate about what you’re doing, boldly use your voice to say what you want and need to say, you stand out. Your contribution to important conversations and debates showcases your expertise, desire to serve, and influences others in your field. I often tell my clients, “Your mission is your competitive advantage… IF you talk about it.” When done authentically and from a place of service, you add to your credibility and set yourself and your company apart from others.
These five reasons highlight how critical your big idea is to your business success. Your big idea provides direction, motivation, differentiation, and resilience. It creates a sense of unity and coherence within your organization, leading to higher levels of engagement, commitment, and innovation. As a business with a deep purpose, you are more likely to succeed in the long term, both financially and socially.
So, what’s your big idea? How is that showing up in your business? Do you have a clear understanding of how that big idea is being lived out in your day to day business operations? If no, I invite you to grab two free resources:
10 Questions to Find Your Big Idea and Align It To Your Business Strategy
Having big ideas is foundational to your success as a business owner. More ease and flow doesn’t have to be a pipedream. Your big idea is the antidote to overwhelm, uncertainty, and disjointedness in your business.
