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

Leadership is the behavior each of us exerts when we take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

From the hindsight of history George Washington seems larger than life, more statuesque than man. Too bad! Washington's greatness as a leader was courage under fire and persistence in the face of obstacles. Yet even he at times doubted himself. But he put those doubts aside and forged ahead, convinced of his noble purpose.

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 are creatures of their environment, but unlike most creatures, they are also movers of it. As movers of and within the organization, they push it forward, at the same time shaping it as much as it shapes them.

Good leaders are focused, directive, and inspiring... in other words, purposeful. People want to look up to leaders, not because they think they are better than us, but because good leaders provide us with a sense of purpose that inspires us to do better.

No one can dictate purpose to another. We discover it for ourselves. Typically leaders know what makes them tick so they do have a purpose, be it to advance their career, achieve some wealth, and be recognized for their efforts. Where they need help is reminding themselves of why they chose their career and their company. They also need to decide periodically if they need to do something new and different. Purpose is an inner compass that points us in the right direction.