Purpose – “Having as one’s intention or objective.”
Purpose after the sale is one of the biggest challenges for an exiting owner. For most owners, the driving motivation is this thing they’ve built. The company has a life of its own, but it’s a life they bestowed. They talk about the businesses growing pains and maturity. Owners are acutely aware of the multiplier effect the success of the company has on employees and their families. In some cases that multiplier extends to an entire town.
That’s the purpose. To nurture and expand. In many cases every process in the business was the founder’s creation. That’s why so many owners still put in 50+ hours a week long after there is any real need to do so. This thing they created is their purpose.
It’s no surprise that so many owners find that golf every day isn’t enough to feel fulfilled. It doesn’t really affect anyone but you. It never matches the feeling of creating something that impacts dozens or hundreds of other people.
That’s why we focus on purpose. It involves impacting other people. Any owner that spent a career learning how to teach and lead needs to keep those skills fresh to stay on the road to personal satisfaction.
FPA Owner Transitions 