Revisiting Purpose to Lead Boldly into 2025

As we enter 2025, the world demands more than ever from leaders, particularly those in the boardroom. The complexity of our challenges—ranging from technological disruption, geopolitics, social inequality and climate change—requires leaders to pause, reflect, and recalibrate. The purpose, both personal and collective, is the compass that can guide us through this storm. Let’s explore how revisiting and aligning personal, board, and company purpose and integrity can help create a compelling vision for the year ahead.

Revisiting Personal Purpose: The Anchor in Turbulent Times

Amid rapid change, clarity of purpose is essential for individual leaders. It starts with asking ourselves some profound questions:

What are my personal and professional values?
Do my decisions reflect these values, even when under pressure?
How do I navigate ethical dilemmas when faced with competing interests and ensure an honest engagement?
Do I engage in the relevant circles and adress reality?

Cultivating personal purpose requires a commitment to continuous learning, accountability, and resilience. Leaders must act as their own “North Star,” ensuring that their inner compass is aligned before guiding others. This self-reflection forms the foundation for ethical and courageous decision-making.

Board Purpose: Aligning to Lead with Integrity

The boardroom is where personal convictions transform into collective action. In an age of disruption, boards need to embrace a shared purpose, articulating values and priorities that resonate with the organization’s long-term vision. Boards can foster alignment through:

Open Dialogue on Purpose with Psychological Safety: Creating spaces to discuss and agree on shared values and the company’s overarching purpose.
Commitment to Courageous Decisions: Addressing issues like business relevance and effectiveness, including geopolitical risks, environmental issues, and balancing the human and social agenda with clarity and resolve.
Ethical Leadership: Modeling behaviors that prioritize transparency, inclusivity, and stakeholder interests, alongside shareholder returns.

Organizational Purpose: The Strategic Advantage

An aligned purpose doesn’t just guide decisions; it drives impact. Purpose-driven companies demonstrate resilience, build stakeholder trust, and achieve sustainable growth. Examples like Ørsted’s pivot to renewable energy showcase how embedding purpose at the heart of strategy can lead to industry leadership and long-term success.

In 2025, eight commitments stand out as essential for board, company and stakeholder alignment. They are the focus of Ravi Chaudry’s new book “Capitalism to Peopleism”. Ravi is a Global Strategist, Former Chair of Tata Group Companies, and will join us shortly on a Webinar:

Respect for Human Rights: Boards must embed human rights into corporate strategies, ensuring fair labor practices, non-discrimination, and ethical supply chains.
Respect for Nature: Climate stewardship should be a board priority, driving decisions that align with sustainable practices and planetary boundaries.
Truthful Media: Boards must combat misinformation by promoting transparency in corporate communications and responsible content governance.
Genuine Gender Equality: Boards need to advocate for measurable diversity goals, pay equity, and pathways for women in leadership roles.
Benevolent Governance: Ethical decision-making should guide boards to prioritize long-term stakeholder interests over short-term profits.
Inclusive Economics: Boards can reduce disparities by fostering equitable wages, diverse supply chains, and investments in local communities.
Transparent Justice: Boards must ensure organizations operate with accountability, fairness, and compliance with ethical and legal standards.
Winning Peace to End Wars: Boards can support peace-building by promoting conflict-free supply chains, ethical sourcing, and societal well-being in global operations.

These commitments are actionable frameworks that demand attention, shaping a just and sustainable future.

Your Invitation: Vision 2025 Webinar

To explore these ideas further, we invite you to join our upcoming webinar on

28th of January, 08:00 -09:30 CET Presentation & Virtual Dialogue:

“A Shared Vision for 2025: Board Leadership in Embracing 8 Sustainabity Committments”

Welcome and Introduction
Keynote: The 8 Commitments and the Board’s Role by Ravi Chaudhry, Strategist & F Chair Tata Group Companies
Interactive Poll and Breakout Room Discussion
Feedback from discussions and Comments with Ravi Chaudhry
Closing Remarks and Next

Facilitated by Liselotte Engstam, Chair Digoshen and Boards Impact Forum

Together, we will revisit our commitments, envision a future shaped by courage and integrity, and discuss how to amplify the impact on ourselves, our boards, and our organizations.

Learn more and sign up here (board mandate required)

Let’s shape a purpose-driven 2025—together. Join us as we lead with intent and courage, foster collaboration, and set the stage for lasting impact.

References:

Capitalism to Peopleism (2024, Ravi Chaudhry)
Klaus Schwab, WEF, call for cooperation and collaboration in the Intelligent Age (Time, 2025)
Whats the role of the Board (2021, IOD Factsheet)
The art of 21st century leadership (2024, McKinsey)
Enacting Purpose within the Modern Corporation (2020-24, Oxford)
Hope is a skill we all need to practice (2025, INSEAD DeVries)
The boards role in embedding corporate purpose (2020, McKinsey)
Guiding the Tide: The Call for Agency in 21st Century Business Leaders (2025, Donner et al)
Rebuilding optimism and trust, the role of leadership and purpose (2024, Digoshen Engstam)
Leaders leave Davos with Cautions Optimism (2025, BBC)
5 Key Take aways from Davos 2025 (2025, WEF)

Learn More

Webinars, Peer Exchanges and Events

Upcoming webinars, all with NED Guest Speakers and Peer Exchange

Feb 14 12-13.30 CET Board Processes and Transition

Mar 7 12-13.30 CET Boards Strategic Governance of Ecosystems

> Announced Events 2025

Board Programs

Boards Oversight of Sustainability

Boards Oversight of Responsible AI

About Liselotte Engstam and Digoshen

This blog post was originally shared at the blog of Digoshen www.digoshen.com, the blog of Boards Impact Forum www.boardsimpactforum.com and the blog of the Digoshen founder www.liselotteengstam.com,

At Digoshen, we work hard to increase #futureinsights and help remove #digitalblindspots and #sustainabilityblindspots. We believe that Companies, Boards, and Business Leadership Teams need to understand more about the future and the digital & sustainable world to fully leverage the potential when bringing their business into the digital & more sustainable age. If you are a board member, consider joining our international board network and master programs.

Welcome to also explore the Digoshen Chatbot on AI Leadership for Boards and Boards Impact Forum, where the Digoshen Founder is the Chair.

Find a link to Digoshen Chair Liselotte Engstam Google Scholar Page

You will find more insights via Digoshen Website, and you are welcome to follow us on LinkedIn Digoshen @ Linkedin and twitter: @digoshen and founder @liseeng