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Feike Sijbesma: how can organisations make purpose authentic?
Purpose

Feike Sijbesma: how can organisations make purpose authentic?

Where does purpose-led leadership begin?
16th Dec 2020

How can organisations make purpose authentic? In order to understand what you do in the world and why you do it, a company must first understand its own values.We spoke with Feike Sijbesma about why purpose-led leadership begins with self-reflection.

“The leadership journey for other companies and for myself starts with insight,” says Sijbesma. “What do I want? What kind of legacy do I want to leave when I retire?”

Feike Sijbesma is CEO of Royal DSM, a global purpose-led, science-based company. They are driven to deliver innovative business solutions for nutrition, health and sustainable living, creating value for employees, customers, shareholders, and society-at-large.

In this interview, we discuss why purpose is integral to the long-term health of an organization, and how leaders must think and act in order to contribute to a better world.

“Nobody can be successful in a world that fails. So we have an obligation to make it more successful.”

As part of the drive for change, Leaders on Purpose & the Fourth Sector Group have created an open letter, urging governments and businesses to “build the economic system better”. Feike Sijbesma is a signatory of the letter.