Can a company have soul?

Some companies truly have soul — they give more than just returns to shareholders and attract the best talent. Feeding that soul is a core responsibility of the board and executive team.

Most companies obsess over strategy and numbers, yet only a rare few ignite a sense of purpose so tangible that people line up to join, stay, and give their best—year after year.

I feel privileged to work, and to have worked, with many companies from up close. And I can assure you, YES, some companies have souls. And yes, there are huge differences between companies. Sorry to disturb the dream, but the grass is sometimes greener in other places. Perhaps you cannot measure it easily, but you can feel it when you work with them.

Key takeaways

• You can feel the soul of a company when its purpose is clear, authentic, and deeply embedded in daily actions—not just words on a mission statement or a vision slide.
• Leaders who keep their company’s soul alive consistently remind people why their work matters and ensure that purpose becomes part of the organization’s DNA.
• Profit is non-negotiable, but companies with soul attract top talent and outperform competitors because they give back to the world, not just their shareholders.

Companies with a soul often have much to give. Not only to their shareholders but also to the world at large. They are better able to attract and retain the best people from the market. People simply want to work for them. And as a result, they produce better returns to their shareholders.

A real company that is operating in the free market is never a charity. Profit is oxygen for every company. You need it, period. Never make the mistake that a company with a soul is a bunch of hippies, and everybody is happy. Because it is not. It would be a severe oversimplification of reality.

But every company can be so much more than just a collection of people delivering a product or a service for their clients. Creative destruction is in my view the beauty of capitalism. Companies finding better solutions and taking market share or creating new markets.

Back to your company

Now, let’s go back to your company for a minute. Start with thinking about the real purpose of your company. In essence it’s the answer to the following question: 'what would the world miss if we were not around?' If you find the answer, you unlock the purpose of your company. By the way: your purpose is NOT the next mission or vision exercise. It’s fundamentally different!

Questions for reflection:

What is your first intuitive reaction: does your company have a soul?

Are you keeping the soul of your business alive as business leader? Do you remind your people about the purpose of your business? Is that knowledge part of the company’s DNA?

Would you say your company is ‘woke’? Is it having a broader look at the business and its bigger responsibility in society?

Does everyone know the purpose of your company?

It’s perfectly possible to run a profitable soulful company. I feel lucky to have worked with many of these companies over the years. Feeding the soul is in my view one of the core responsibilities of the board and executive team.

A company with soul doesn’t just outperform the market; it inspires loyalty, unleashes potential, and leaves a mark on the world that no balance sheet can ever capture.

Over to you.