CEO Stories: Alaina Love, CEO, Purpose Linked Consulting

LINKING PURPOSE AND PASSION

When the twin flames of passions of purpose burn, they allow individuals, teams, and organizations to do their best work, according to former HR executive Alaina Love. Being successful or making a lot of money isn’t enough to satisfy the inner longing that has people looking for “more” – often in the wrong places and to no avail. Research shows that for most people, happiness starts to trail off in their late 20s and picks up again in their 60s. That’s not related to life events, says Love, but to the fact that people will spend some 85,000 of their lives at work, and aren’t fulfilled by it.

THE PASSION PROFILER

Love developed an online psychometric tool, the Passion Profiler, to allow people to discover how the ten passion archetypes resonate with them. The ten are Creator; Conceiver; Discoverer; Processor; Teacher; Connector; Altruist; Healer; Transformer; and Builder. These passions are an outward expression of purpose. She says an understanding of an individual’s dominant three, which drive behavior, can help guide them to more fulfilling lives, personally and professionally.

DRIVING ENGAGEMENT

With Gallup estimating that seven out of ten employees aren’t engaged at work, managers’ ability to connect employees to work that they find meaningful to them takes on greater urgency. Building teams with not only the right mix of skills but the right mix of passions can drive stronger results, Love argues, because people feel a stronger sense of commitment and desire to contribute. She advises people not to think about them as job descriptions. A builder is just as likely to be an entrepreneur as an architect; a teacher won’t necessarily be in the classroom.