The Lasting Power of Purpose

Earlier this month, we gathered as a TruStage team for our employee Forum, celebrated our impressive 90-year history and talked more about how we’ll continue to reinvent ourselves – while staying true to our purpose – so we can thrive for the next 90+ years.

Strategies and leaders have come and gone through the years, but our purpose remains strong. A purpose must be more than words on a wall or page.

That’s why, during each forum, we feature a customer story or phone call as one of many ways to stay grounded in why we do what we do, and why it matters to the people and partners we serve. These stories keep us connected to something bigger than ourselves. They remind us of our “why.”

The power of purpose

 When employees understand why the company exists, who it serves, and how their work makes a larger, meaningful impact, the results follow. Recent Axios data supports this:

> 27% of senior leaders think their teams understand company goals

> Just 9% of employees say they actually do

> 79% of employees say the quality of communication from leaders impacts how well they understand those goals

> And 72% say that understanding directly affects their engagement

 Fundamentals for the future

Thriving for 90+ years is no small feat. In fact, only about 5% of today’s Fortune 500 companies have survived the last 90 years. The common thread of surviving brands? They’ve stayed notably true to their core while reinventing themselves to meet the evolving demands of consumers.

Take IBM , for example. When IBM was founded more than a century ago, it was best known for typewriters and mainframe computers, but has evolved into cloud computing and AI. The company pivoted but never strayed from its purpose of using technology and information to solve the world’s most complex problems.

Those kinds of purpose-driven leadership examples motivate me. And at TruStage, our mission is clear: create a brighter financial future for everyone. But clarity at the top isn’t enough. It must reach every level of the organization.

Years of significant change or uncertainty present a unique test for organizations to get clear on their north star - what matters most and why. While this is true across industries, the underlying need to clarify and refine your focus remains a challenge. And, as the world evolves faster than ever, the ability to clearly articulate your why is perhaps more critical than ever.

What’s your why

This concept holds true for individuals, too. Jason Gay, The Wall Street Journal sports columnist, does an excellent job of articulating this concept in his University of Wisconsin-Madison 2025 commencement speech.

Beyond the surface-level facts (i.e. TruStage is a Madison-based company and my youngest son just graduated from high school) this speech hit home for several reasons:

1. There’s a compelling story about the women’s hockey team winning the NCAA championship and the immeasurable value of teamwork (What can I say? I’m a sports guy!)

2. He captures the meaning of purpose…not just in the big achievements, but in the small, ordinary acts of good that we can do every day.

3. He’s real. And he celebrates both life’s peaks and valleys while reminding us why we work hard, lead ethically and work toward building a better future.

4. The insurance business requires strong long-game thinking. Jason advocates for lasting values over fleeting success.

It’s well worth watching.

How does your purpose and mission come to life throughout the culture of your organization? And how does it align with your own purpose? Or, in the simplest terms, what’s your why?