Communication comes with practice. As a leader you must speak the truth; listen for understanding; and learn from what you hear and do not hear.

There are some terrific resources on how to find individual purpose but relative resources on how to discover purpose and apply to an organization. My challenge was to show organizations how they could unlock the purpose of their organizations and put it to good use for employees to apply to their own jobs. The net effect is to help individuals, teams and organizations to optimize performance by understanding how to use purpose for good intention.

Leaders instill purpose through their words and their actions. Their communications demonstrate a commitment to vision and mission, but their behaviors underscore its real importance. What a leader does is far more important than what he or she says. People want to see action and help achieve results.

Purpose needs to be nurtured. It gains resolve when faced with adversity. The ability to overcome obstacles and challenges is daunting but when accomplished gives us a great feeling of achievement. At the same time we need to nurture purpose by exposing ourselves to new opportunities. We need to learn continuously and we need to teach what we learn to others. Such things like that, and many more, help shape and develop the sense of a leader's purpose so that he or she can provide greater service to the organization.

Leaders do not motivate per se. They create conditions for people to motivate themselves. They do it by communicating clearly, setting clear expectations, following through and recognizing performance.

Heroism is not blind courage: it is selfless action. it is knowing the odds are stacked against you, but feeling that you must do what you do for the good of others.

The words a leader speaks are important, of course. But how they're delivered can make all the difference, especially in tough times.