Finding clarity and motivation through Ikigai
“Business purpose” often sounds like one of those corporate buzzwords that gets wheeled out on team days, plastered on a few posters, and then swiftly ignored.
But in this month’s vlog, UK Growth Coach director and business coach Jo South explains why your business purpose is actually one of the most powerful tools in your leadership toolbox, subject to you using it properly!
Jo introduces a fascinating concept borrowed from Japanese philosophy: Ikigai, meaning “a reason for being.” It’s all about finding the overlap between what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and (in a business context) what your customers are willing to pay for.
In just a few minutes, Jo walks you through how this four-part framework can inject clarity, motivation, and direction into your business, helping you and your team feel more connected to the bigger picture.
🎥 Watch the vlog above, and read on for a summary of Jo’s key takeaways.
Why purpose matters
Jo kicks off by tackling the elephant in the room: many business owners roll their eyes at the idea of purpose, culture and values. Too often, they’ve been misused or turned into empty slogans by large corporations.
But done right, a clear purpose can:
- Drive you through challenging times
- Help your team understand why their work matters
- Motivate you and your team to put in the discretionary effort and passion to go beyond the basics
- Act as a compass for decision-making and change
- Brings satisfaction to your daily life (we all spend a lot of time at work, and feeling that that time is well spent and has meaning, matters!)
It is not business fluff. It is about focus.
What is Ikigai, and why should you care?
Ikigai is a Japanese concept that translates as “a reason to live.” It sits at the intersection of:
- What you love
- What you’re good at
- What the world needs
Jo shows how UK Growth Coach adapts this into a practical framework for business owners, reframing the elements as:
- Vision: What’s the big goal for your business?
- Excellence: What do you and your team really excel at?
- Value: What are your customers willing to pay for?
- Purpose: How does your business meet a wider need in the world?
Getting clarity in each of these areas can bring a new sense of meaning and momentum, not just for you, but for your team too.
A real-world example
To show how it works in practice, Jo shares how UK Growth Coach applies this model:
- Vision: 100 business coaches supporting SMEs across the UK
- Excellence: We are experts in business advice, support, education and accountability
- Value: Clients are willing to pay for coaching, training and business services
- Purpose: To prevent failure, enable success, and increase satisfaction for business owners and their communities
This is what gets us out of bed in the morning. What about you and your business?
So… what’s your Ikigai?
Jo’s closing question: What’s your Ikigai?
Do you have a clear, motivating purpose for your business? Does your team know what it is? Are they as excited by it as you are?
If not, or if you’ve just never thought about it this way before, it is time to revisit your purpose and direction.
And if you want a thinking partner to help you explore that and support in making your ikigai a reality, that’s exactly where we come in.
Turn purpose into progress
At UK Growth Coach, we help business owners find clarity, connect the dots, and build purposeful businesses that work.
If you want support to explore your Ikigai, develop a vision, or better engage your team, book a free 90-minute business review with one of our expert coaches.
Let’s make your purpose practical.
📞 Call us on 01444 440500📩 Or book online
