DisruptHR: Markus Kramer on Shared & Aligned Purpose: Why Purpose Becomes a Superpower
Why do we get up in the morning? Why do we do what we do – and could we express this drive in five words or less?
This radically simple question was posed by Markus Kramer on the DisruptHR stage. And it is far more than a philosophical exercise. For Markus, true organisational culture begins where people and organisations not only know their purpose, but share it and live it.
What follows is a striking reality check drawn from over eight years of research and more than 600 companies analysed. His conclusion: Purpose is one of the biggest missed opportunities in organisations – and simultaneously their most powerful unused superpower.
Why do you do what you do?
Markus opens with a question rarely asked in a work context: What drives you – beyond your paycheque?
This is not just an individual reflection. Markus argues that an organisation should be able to find an answer that all employees can share in essence. When that happens, Shared Purpose emerges – the unifying force that connects a team.
But it doesn’t stop there: Clients, customers and partners should also recognise this purpose. When external audiences articulate the same meaning, Aligned Purpose is created.
Together, they form what Markus calls a cultural superglue:
Employees feel more motivated
People stay longer
The organisation becomes more attractive to talent
Performance improves
In short: Shared & Aligned Purpose directly impacts the bottom line.
A sobering look at reality
Markus knows what he is talking about. Together with Jean-Francois Hirschel, he analyses more than 600 of the world’s largest asset managers every year – and has done so for eight years.
The results are sobering:
Around half of companies express a purpose at all.
The quality? Mediocre – averaging 2.4 out of 5.
Fewer than 10% articulate purpose and values well.
Most use generic values like transparency, trust, excellence – traits that do not create differentiation.
His conclusion: “It’s a missed opportunity. Purpose is not difficult – but it is often made difficult.”
How purpose truly works
For purpose to have real impact, Markus emphasises that it must be short, active and memorable. It should start with a verb and must not function as a marketing slogan. He uses Apple as a striking example: “Humanized technology” – just two words, yet recognisable everywhere.
Values should also remain short and focused: three to four, otherwise no one remembers them – or lives them.
Most importantly, values must be differentiating. They should express what sets an organisation apart, not what every company could claim, like four wheels on a car.
The key: Linking values to the business
The most common reaction Markus hears from senior leaders?
“Nice idea, but all of this is just fluff.”
Markus disagrees. And he has evidence.
He shares the example of DPAM, an asset manager ranked number one in the Responsible Investment Brand Index. Their differentiating value is: “Thorough.”
Why? Because they built an in-house research team that produces insights no one else has. They connect this value directly to their positioning and, ultimately, to their business. Purpose becomes measurable, tangible – and impossible to copy.
Shared & Aligned Purpose as a superpower
In closing, Markus highlights that Shared & Aligned Purpose is far more than a cultural initiative.
It is a superpower because it:
creates a culture competitors cannot imitate
links internal identity with external perception
drives stronger business results
In other words: Purpose is not a “nice to have.” It is a strategic advantage.
Key Takeaways
Shared Purpose emerges when employees express the same underlying motivation.
Aligned Purpose arises when customers and partners articulate the same meaning.
Together they form a cultural superglue that boosts motivation, retention and performance.
Most organisations articulate purpose and values poorly or generically.
Effective purpose is short, active and clear – not a marketing line.
Values must be differentiating to matter.
The strongest lever: link purpose and values to the business model.
DPAM shows how differentiated values create real market advantage.
Shared & Aligned Purpose is an organisational superpower – culturally and financially.
About Markus Kramer
Managing Partner at Brand Affairs
Markus Kramer is a strategic brand advisor who transforms organizations through vision, purpose, and deep industry expertise. He has worked with leading names such as Harley-Davidson, Aston Martin, Ferrari, DHL, and Miele, advising corporations, SMEs, and startups worldwide.
Combining academic insight with hands-on business experience, he focuses on strategic positioning, cultural transformation, and sustainable growth across industries from finance and technology to luxury and government.
An Honorary Senior Fellow at Bayes Business School in London and lecturer at ZHAW in Zurich, Markus shares his expertise through teaching, board roles, and his books The Guiding Purpose Strategy and Elegant Insights.
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About DisruptHR
Innovative, fresh ideas and opinions that rethink and reshape the working world, presented by around 10 speakers in just 5 minutes each: that’s DisruptHR.
Our speakers are coached by our TEDxLausanne Speaker Coach, Christopher Lübbers, to help them bring out their very best.
SPOT ON has been organizing these events for many years in Zurich. To date, more than 100 speakers have taken the stage at our events.
