The Purpose Economy: How Your Desire for Impact, Personal Growth and Community Is Changing the World

146 Pages·2014·4.68 MB·English

by  Aaron Hurst

Advance Acclaim
“Aaron Hurst powerfully sums up in The Purpose Economy
the fundamental changes taking place in the business world.”
Arianna Huffington
Chair, President and Editor-in-Chief
Huffington Post Media Group
“Here is that rare animal, a business book grounded in compassion. taps into our deep craving
The Purpose Economy
for meaning in our life and work. If Aaron Hurst is right, and I think he is, we are on the threshhold of a
new, more value-rich era in business. This book will help you find your place in it.”
Daniel H. Pink
Author, To Sell is Human and Drive
“After building the largest nonprofit consultancy in the nation and changing the role of professionals in
society, Aaron Hurst takes aim at his next target, the global economy.”
Chan Suh
Founder, Agency.com
“Writing with the fierceness and intelligence of one who has been on the front lines of creating the Purpose
Economy, Aaron Hurst pulls together a seemingly disparate collection of trends and multi-generational
yearnings into a cohesive argument that our economy is entering a new period where meaning is, perhaps,
the ultimate capital. is at once both a description of profound changes and a call to action to
The Purpose Economy
make those changes a part of our society.”
Jerry Colonna
Chair of the Board, Naropa University | Co-Founder, Flatiron Partners

Author, The Monster in Your Head
eloquently sums up what we have seen around the world over the last ten years. Aaron Hurst
“The Purpose Economy
is a rare visionary with the talent to see the future but also find a way to bring us all along on the journey to
realize its potential.”
Markus Hipp
Executive Director, BMW Foundation
is required reading for anyone interested in social innovation and frankly anyone who is
“The Purpose Economy
working with Millennials.”
Michele Kahane
Professor of Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, The New School
“Aaron is one of the most thoughtful analysts working at the intersection of business and society interests
today. He has a deep, intuitive understanding of people, and the different forces that are affecting their
social, economic, and life decisions. If you are interested in understanding where we might be headed and
what it might mean for your job, career, or enterprise, you need to read this book.”
Stephen Jordan
Founder, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center
is a must-have on any reading list about economics, social innovation, Millennials, marketing,
“The Purpose Economy
or leadership.”
Jim Schorr
Senior Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
is brilliant. It is both an unlock for finding purpose in your career as well as for adapting your
“The Purpose Economy
organization to meet the shifting priorities of new generations and communities.”
Roberto Orci
President, Acento Advertising
Chairman, Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies
“Aaron Hurst has captured an immensely important change in today’s consumer and talent economies.
The
explains why a growing desire for authentic purpose in the work we do and the choices we make
Purpose Economy
is redefining what it takes to lead successful organizations.”
Fabio Rosati
CEO, Elance / oDesk
“For those wondering what’s coming around the corner economically and socially—driven by the energy
and dynamism of Millennials— provides some compelling ideas and early clues.”
The Purpose Economy
Phillip Henderson
President, Surdna Foundation
“This important book provides important insight into the changing motivations and drive of the powerful
Millennial Generation. This thesis can be (and hopefully will be) transformative to a variety of sectors, as
we adjust to the new currency of the largest generation in history—Millennials.”
Maya Enista Smith
Advisor, Lady Gaga’s BORN THIS WAY FOUNDATION
THE PURPOSE ECONOMY

How Your Desire for Impact,
Personal Growth and Community
Is Changing the World

AARON HURST
Elevate, USA
Copyright © 2014 by Aaron Hurst Cover design: Franziska Veh and Arthur Cherry All rights reserved. No
portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means © electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other © except for brief quotations in
critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Boise, Idaho by Elevate, a Russell Media company This book may be purchased in bulk for
educational, business, organizational, or promotional use.
For information, please email [email protected] ISBN-10: 1937498298
ISBN-13: 978-1937498290
Printed in the United States of America
The Purpose Economy is dedicated to the amazing women in my family who
have taught me nearly everything I know. Kara Hartnett Hurst, my muse and
wife. Lola B. Hurst, my daughter and the closest thing to perfection on this
planet. Tera Pierce, my sister and hero. Sandra Slater, my rock and aunt. Bonnie
Slater Hurst, my departed mother, whose disdain for the ordinary lives with me
to this day.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Robert Acton, Clem Auyeung, Jesse Bania, Caroline Barlerin, Nate Bear,
Jonathan Becker, Jennifer Benz, Paula J. Beugen, Ruth Blatt, Sierra Brand,
Mischa Byruck, Stuart Bunderson, John Cary, Chris Chavez, Samuel Chen,
Arthur Cherry, Josh Cohen, Jerry Colonna, Chip Conley, Alana Corbett, Cody
Cowan, Suzanne Craig, Will Denton, Bill Draper III, Leandra Elberger, Jason
Elliott, Liana Elliott, Peter Esser, Tatiana Figueiredo, Lindsay Firestone, Lance
Fors, Oliver Friedfeld, Kyla Fullenwider, Lisa Gans, Meg Garlinghouse, Sheryle
Gillihan, Mirta Gilson, Kimberly Gim, Per Grankvist, Adam Grant, Gabriel
Grant, Marine Grodzin, Phi-Hong Ha, Alethea Hanneman, Carol Harnett, Jessica
Harris, Meira Harris, R. Christine Hershey, Markus Hipp, Jeff Hirsch, Elizabeth
Horwitz, Rachel Hutchinson, Robert Hunter, Shawn Hunter, Noah Isaacs,
Luciana Jaburl, Amel Karboul, Meghana Khandekar, Steve Kirmse, Aïcha
Konaté, Adriana Krasniansky, Bobby Kuber, Adam Lashinsky, Tracy Lawrence,
Chelsea LeMar, Stephanie Lepp, Leonardo Letelier, Julie Lewit-Nirenberg, Josh
Linkner, Emily Loose, Christos Makridis, Elaine Mason, David B. McGinty,
Denise McMahan, Jeff Nedler, Mark Newall, Frances Nguyen, Joy Nuga,
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, McVal Osborne, Kelli Peterson, Eric Phillips-Horst,
Armin Pialek, Marc Porat, Damon Shelby Porter, Julian Posada, Camille
Preston, Tom and Kathy Raffa, Eric Ries, Fabio Rosati, Jeff Russell, Mark
Russell, Alexandra Santiago, Frank Santoni, David Sasson, Nina Schneider,
Elizabeth Schwan-Rosenwald, Jimena Ryan, Emily Sarver, Steve Schloss, Ryan
Scott, Meaghan Scribner, Mariana Serra, Neil Shah, Shally Shanker, Dr. Shikha
Sharma, Alex Simon, Aman Singh, Sandra Slater, Adam Spence, Sophie
Stenbeck, Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, Wendi Sturgis, Chan Suh, Trevor Sumner,
Rich Tafel, Anna Tavis, Michael Thng, Friederike V. Tiesenhausen, Kristy
Timms, Jeffery Thompson, Dar Vanderbeck, Gael Van Weyenbergh, Franziska
Veh, Jeff Walker, Katherine Wang, Emma White, Arthur Woods, Kristin
Woods, Amy Wrzesniewski, Pengcheng Zhu, Andrew Zolli THE PURPOSE
ECONOMY 100
The cover of this book celebrates 100 pioneers of the new economy. Their
names are as follows:
Cindy Gallop, David Kelley, Marshall Ganz, Jonathan Trent, Erika Karp,
Salman Khan, Michelle Long, Laura Roberts, Emily Pilloton, Antje Danielson
and Robin Chase, Yvon Chouinard, Daniel Pink, Howard Gardner, Michael
Porter, William McDonough, Brené Brown, Ben Nelson, Wendy Kopp, Sasha
Orloff and Jacob Rosenberg, Jonathan Abrams, Dr. Eric Topol, Arianna
Huffington, Pam O’Connor, Dr. Peter Tuerk, Greg Berman, Marty Makary &
Atul Gawande, William Rosenzweig, Carol Cone, Dr. Corey Keyes, Evan
Wolfson, Howard Dean, Heather Franzese, Jeff Denby, Jonathan Rapping, Mary
Bonauto, Beth Noveck, Rick Warren, R. Seth Williams, Sebastian Thrun and
Peter Norvig, Chad Dickerson and Matt Stinchcomb, Daniel Rosen, Billy Parish,
Steve Richmond, Joshua David and Robert Hammond, Joshua Mailman and
Wayne Silby, Amy Wrzesniewski and Jane E. Dutton, Rick Fedrizzi, Mike
Italiano, and David Gottfried, Jay Coen Gilbert, Bart Houlahan, and Andrew
Kassoy, Dr. Melissa Kearney, Dr. Peter Tufano, Dr. Jonathan Guryan, Dr. Erik
Hurst, Bob Epstein and Nicole Lederer, Ryan Gravel, Cathy Woolard, Tom
Cousins, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Craig Jelinek, Bernie Glassman, Juliet
Ellis, Freelancers Union, Paul Rice, Charles Montgomery, Jacob Wood &
William McNulty, Jennifer Pahlka, Melinda Gates, Jeffrey Stewart, Indra Nooyi,
Ryan Howard, Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, Steve Ells, Ray Oldenburg, Vivek
Kundra, Tony Hsieh, Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk, John
Tolva, Rob Spiro and Alon Salant, Yancey Strickler, Charles Adler, Perry Chen,
Meg Garlinghouse, Mitchell Baker, Dr. Tom X. Lee, Elon Musk, Peter Koechley
& Eli Pariser, David Payne and Michael Tavani, Michael Bloomberg, Rachel
Kleinfeld, John Mackey, Michael Pollan, Brad Neuberg, Chris Anderson, David
Edinger, Scotty Martin, Dr. Regina Benjamin, Frank Perez, Al Gore, Zack Exley
and Judith Freeman, Ben Goldhirsh, Adam Grant, David Javerbaum, Dr. Jon
Kingsdale, Jane Jacobs, Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, Jorge Montalvo, Judge
Jonathan Lippman, Justin Hall, Molla S. Donaldson, Karl D. Yordy, Kathleen N.
Lohr, and Neal A. Vanselow, Peter Block
INTRODUCTION
I am 39 years old. As an American male, my life expectancy is 76. I’m already
in the second half of my life, though I’m often still referred to as a “young
leader.”
It’s remarkable how much the world can change in 39 years. Most nations are
less than 75 years old. The average national constitution has a life expectancy of
only 17 years. The lifespan of a Fortune 500 company is between 40 and 50
years—roughly the same as someone in one of the ten poorest countries in the
world. During my grandmother’s lifespan, the number of nations in the world
increased by more than 50 percent; at the time of her birth, many had not yet
even been established.
Our institutions, our governments, and even our nations are still radically
evolving. You will likely live longer than the organization that employs you
today. The corporations that dominate society are a relatively recent invention,
barely a hundred years old. The sector is still in its infancy, and the giant
businesses that lead it, despite all their resources and systems, are far less
resilient than people. As the founder of the Taproot Foundation, now in its
twelfth year, it’s hard for me to fathom a time when it won’t exist, but the odds
are very low that it will still be around when I die. Hopefully its impact and
legacy will outlive me, but the organization is unlikely to do so.
It’s a disturbing but liberating thought—everything is in transition and far less
permanent than we imagine. But if little of what we build or experience outlasts
us, we can and should give ourselves far more permission to experiment and take
risks. Few things cannot change. That means that we possess much more power
than we realize, but it also means that even if we make mistakes, they are
impermanent and reparable. Things are done a certain way, until they aren’t.
You can be the one who makes the change.
Playing with Post-it Notes
In 1992, I was in high school while my father was a Ph.D. student at the
University of Michigan. My fondest memory of that time was watching him map
his ideas for his dissertation. He began with an insight from a conversation,
research, or a book. He then would roll these giant sheets of paper out across the
table, on which he would jot down the insight and circle it. He added circle after
circle, drawing lines to show their relationships. When he wasn’t around, I
would pull out his maps and look at them, trying to decipher his lines, words,
and circles—it was a map of his mental world, and looking at it made me feel
like I was inside it.
20 years later, I began creating my own circles to find my own insights. My
circles took the form of Post-it notes stuck on my office window, which
overlooked the downtown New York City skyline. For over a year I arranged
and rearranged them, trying to find a pattern and an answer to a question I had
been studying for a long time: Is there a science to social impact? How could the
work I was doing at Taproot have a bigger impact? Billions of dollars are spent
each year trying to move the needle on issues from education to poverty, but
what was working? Is it possible to predict success? How could someone design
a social impact effort with a high probability of creating change?
The breakthrough came as patterns emerged between the Post-its. The patterns
became what I later termed the Five Levers for Social Change in a series for the
Stanford Social Innovation Review.1 Based on my research of successful social
change efforts, there appeared to be only five ways that social change was ever
proactively created: research, policy, public perceptions, disruptive technology,
and bright spots. This framework radically shrunk the challenge of architecting
social change efforts. What had seemed infinite and overwhelming had become
finite and easily navigated.
Once this framework emerged, I took it on the road to see if anyone could
break it.
Entrepreneurs, local foundations, even folks at the White House couldn’t find
an example of a social change that had been created using an approach other
than one of the five levers. But as I continued to test the framework, I personally
found that the five levers weren’t enough. Putting the levers to work required
large groups of people working together across sectors, backgrounds, and
experiences. Leaders weren’t listening to each other or respecting the
perspectives of their partners. They were talking at each other, not with each
other. They were getting stuck just defining an issue, much less selecting the
right levers to pull.
Soon, a new set of Post-it notes began to pop up on my window. Why did
such smart people see issues so differently and have so much trouble
understanding the perspectives of their peers? How could we get people to work
together to put the five levers into action? The answer took about three months
to emerge as I moved my Post-it notes around in between conference calls and
meetings. As I mapped out all the diverse approaches to advancing progress, five
distinct perspectives emerged. I came to understand that these diverse
perspectives constituted the core of not only how people created change and