Dr. Cassandra Henderson, founder and CEO of Sterling Heritage Consulting Group and COO of Child Action, Inc.
We are no longer living in a time when leaders can succeed by relying solely on operational excellence, financial acumen or efficiency metrics. Today, the most effective leaders embrace what Ranjay Gulati calls “deep purpose“—a leadership approach that puts values at the core of business strategy.
Deep purpose is not a marketing slogan. It is a compass. And in my experience leading large, mission-driven organizations, it has been the single most potent force behind sustainable growth, employee retention and systemic impact.
The Impact Of Prioritizing Purpose
The truth is, we cannot talk about performance without talking about people. And we cannot talk about people without talking about purpose.
In one of my recent roles, I led a large organization with hundreds of employees serving thousands of families across the state. When I arrived, turnover was high, morale was fractured and equity felt more like an aspiration than a practice. I didn’t come in with a silver bullet. I came in with a mindset: Lead with values, back decisions with data and treat every interaction as an opportunity to build trust.
We started by redesigning our compensation framework—not because it was a trend but because data revealed that nearly half of our own workforce qualified for the very public assistance programs we administered. That reality was unacceptable. Our purpose demanded better. So we led a restructuring effort that lifted wages across the board, introduced pathways for internal mobility and aligned pay with both impact and dignity. The results were tangible: reduced turnover, improved morale and higher performance across departments.
But the work didn’t stop there. We built feedback loops into the heart of our operations; launched talent-development strategies centered on inclusion, curiosity and coaching; and revamped technology systems to support human-centered workflows. We didn’t always get it right the first time, but we stayed accountable to the communities we served and the colleagues we led.
And perhaps most critically, we normalized courageous conversations.
Embracing Values-Driven Leadership
Values-driven leadership is not about perfection. It’s about alignment. It’s about asking, “Are we profitable?” and, “Are we doing right by the people who depend on us?”
In his book Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies, Gulati wrote, “Purpose isn’t just a lofty ideal; it’s a source of direction, alignment and energy.” I’ve seen this play out time and again. Whether I was working in education policy, leading strategic initiatives at a state agency or coaching teams through major operational shifts, the throughline has always been the same: Lead with clarity, hold space for marginalized voices and make decisions that connect strategy to humanity.
As I step into the next chapter of my leadership journey, I carry these lessons with me. I know that the companies and organizations that will thrive in the years ahead understand that purpose is not a soft metric—it’s a strategy. I believe those who treat equity, inclusion and trust as afterthoughts will struggle to attract top talent, build resilience or sustain meaningful impact.
Leadership in this era is not about command and control. It’s about alignment and accountability. It’s about recognizing that operational excellence and human flourishing are not at odds—they are, in fact, deeply intertwined.
For those of us seeking to lead differently, here is my invitation: Root yourself in purpose. Use data to elevate, not diminish, humanity. And remember that every policy, system and budget decision is an opportunity to live your values out loud.
That, in my experience, is what leadership indeed looks like.
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