Bespoke Purpose Session

Background and Objectives

In September 2019, Impact Factory was invited to Vienna to deliver a bespoke Purpose session for a group of senior managers working with Thomas Einramhof at Erste Group Bank AG. The Bespoke Purpose Session was pivotal in establishing a connection with leadership values and aspirations.

The objective was to explore the concept of individual and team Purpose, helping participants reflect on how their strengths, values, and aspirations contribute to personal fulfilment and collective success. With a primary strategic goal on the horizon (€600 million), the bespoke session also provided an opportunity to align purpose-driven leadership with ambitious business outcomes. The session expertly tailored the leadership programme to meet these outcomes.

Session Overview

The session was highly interactive, designed to promote self-awareness, team cohesion, and future-focused thinking. Delegates reflected on their achievements and the role models who have shaped their approach to leadership. Bespoke Purpose sessions allow delegates to find innovative ways to align these reflections with strategy.

Core themes included:

Understanding Purpose
Participants explored how Purpose acts as a foundation – the “bowl” in which all of life’s roles sit. They considered how to live and work “on Purpose,” aligning values with actions.

Conflict and Struggle
One key insight: struggle often arises when we are acting in conflict with our Purpose. Identifying moments of passive vs. active choice helped participants understand where they had agency — and where they could reclaim it.

Defining Personal Purpose
Each participant created a Purpose Statement, distilling their key strengths and values into a meaningful declaration. These were shared aloud, creating a sense of connection and collective insight while highlighting the bespoke nature of their personal purpose sessions.

From WHO to WHY
Building on Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, the group explored the addition of a fourth, central layer: WHO. At Impact Factory, we believe it’s not just the ‘why’ people buy into — it’s the ‘who’.

Team Reflection and Future Visioning
The session also turned the lens on the team:

How are we currently seen?

How do we want to be seen?

What are our biggest challenges?

What value can we bring to the business?

What qualities can we draw on to meet the future?

From Current View to Better View
Using the concept of CVS → BVS (Current View of the Situation to Better View of the Situation), the team examined how thinking 10x bigger could unlock new, bold strategies.

Outcomes & Takeaways

The session left participants with:

A clear, personal Purpose Statement grounded in authenticity and leadership impact, a testament to the brilliant outcome of their bespoke purpose sessions

Insight into the connection between struggle, choice, and alignment

A shared language for expressing team values, challenges, and aspirations

Fresh game-changing ideas rooted in Purpose-driven thinking

A renewed sense of identity, both individually and collectively

Delegates were encouraged to revisit their Purpose Statements regularly, ensuring the session’s bespoke impact remains in strategic and team decision-making.

Legacy

The Purpose session served as a meaningful anchor for leadership within Erste Bank Group during a pivotal period. It laid the groundwork for proactive, purposeful leadership, and positioned the team as change agents equipped to drive transformation — not just for results, but for meaning. Overall, their bespoke purpose sessions proved vital for enduring change and leadership development.