#117: How Purpose-Driven Business Drives Growth with Marshall Lockton

Marshall is a Partner and majority owner of Knight Agency, a marketing firm that builds from inside out. They use storytelling to help companies connect people and strategy, driving performance. He acquired Knight through Meraki Investments, which he founded to invest in companies making a difference. He is also a shareholder of Lockton, the largest family owned insurance brokerage, where he worked for 14 years. He lives in KC with his wife Nora and two children, Miles and Sloane. Top 3 Takeaways Be Clear. Purpose doesn't require grand social initiatives - it's about clearly articulating why your company exists and how it uniquely serves the world, which motivates both employees and customers. Sync Up. Connected people drive growth through four essential connections: to the company's purpose, to meaningful work, to supportive leadership, and to collaborative teammates. Listen Up. Authentic employer branding requires listening to employees' stories and allowing their voices to create a genuine narrative that builds trust and engagement. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "I think we each have an individual purpose... something where our greatest strengths meets our passion meets the place we can make an impact and I think the same is true for companies." "Businesses don't exist to make a profit, they're like red blood cells, you need them, you need the profits to make a profit. But really the purpose of the business is why it exists." "Connected people drive growth and results... the four connections that we talk about are connected to the company, which is really the purpose... connected to the work... connection to the leader... and connection to each other." "Retention is the obvious business risk that you're running if you have individuals who are out of whack in any of those four quadrants or four connection types." "Purpose and values really work if the individuals believe them, and they also resonate with their own personal values and why they exist." "It's not great when people come on to work and they have to feel like they got to put on a different person. And that doesn't feel like a very good fit for work." "The trust pyramid really starts with vulnerability and being willing to share. Because if you don't do that, you're probably not going to get any kind of ability to have candid conversations and trust with one another." Connect with Marshall Website: http://www.knightagency.com Email: marshall@knightagency.com