Most organizations start with what they want to achieve. Timothy Holden begins with why.
After two decades leading large-scale operational transformations across telecom, from implementing 5G and cloud-RAN technologies to managing billion-dollar programs, Holden has learned that technology changes fast, but what drives sustainable success is purpose-based leadership that connects individual work to organizational impact.
Goals stop being boxes to check and start becoming personal missions when people understand why their work matters. Yet most transformation initiatives produce compliance, not commitment. Teams execute tasks while fundamentally disconnected from the purpose that would turn required work into ownership.
Holden believes driving sustainable results requires starting with why instead of what, empowering people with clarity and trust, not just freedom, and breaking purpose-driven goals into daily wins that create continuous momentum.
Start With Why, Not What
“Whether I’m working with a frontline technician or a senior executive, I use a method I call the seven whys,” Holden explains. “We dig deep. Why do you do what you do? Why does that matter? Until we uncover the core purpose behind someone’s work. That’s where accountability starts.”
Most goal-setting follows predictable patterns. Leadership defines objectives, managers cascade them to teams, and employees receive targets and execute. This produces compliance, people do what’s required, but rarely produces commitment, where people take ownership because work connects to something they care about.
The seven whys method digs deeper. Ask why someone does their work, and the first answer is usually tactical. Ask why that matters, and answers shift slightly. Keep asking why through seven iterations, and answers reveal the core purpose behind the work.
“Once people connect their personal purpose to the organization’s goals, they take ownership,” Holden notes. “That’s when goals stop being boxes to check and start becoming personal missions.”
Empower With Clarity and Trust, Not Just Freedom
Great employee experiences drive great results, but empowerment requires more than giving people freedom.
“Empowerment isn’t just about giving people freedom. It’s about giving them clarity, tools, and trust,” Holden explains. “In every organization I’ve led, I focus on making each person’s impact visible. That means simplifying processes, creating direct feedback loops, and making sure employees see how their work ties into the bigger picture.”
Most organizations approach empowerment by removing constraints, reducing approval layers, eliminating oversight, and giving teams autonomy. This works when people already understand what success looks like.
It fails when autonomy creates confusion about priorities.
Holden’s approach pairs freedom with clarity. Simplify processes so people spend energy creating value. Create direct feedback loops so people see results immediately instead of waiting for quarterly reviews. Make impact visible by showing how individual contributions connect to organizational outcomes.
“When people feel seen, respected, and responsible for real outcomes, they show up differently,” Holden emphasizes. “And the results speak for themselves.”
Break Purpose Into Daily Wins
Purpose without structure is just inspiration. Holden uses a framework called daily and weekly wins.
“We break big purpose-driven goals down into what needs to happen this week, this day, right now,” Holden explains. “This creates a culture of focus and momentum. Instead of waiting for quarterly reviews, progress becomes continuous, and success becomes measurable at every level.”
Most organizations set annual goals, break them into quarterly objectives, then struggle when teams lose momentum between review cycles.
Big goals feel distant.
Quarterly targets feel abstract.
Daily work feels disconnected from either.
Daily and weekly wins change this by making progress visible continuously. What needs to happen this week to move toward quarterly targets? What needs to happen today to achieve weekly wins? This converts purpose into actionable priorities.
“This approach helped me lead teams that cut costs, improved efficiency, and increased operational impact at a national scale,” Holden notes.
Doing this maintains the connection between purpose and execution. Progress becomes measurable daily, success becomes visible weekly, and purpose stays connected to execution continuously.
Turn Purpose Into Performance
“Purpose-based leadership isn’t just a philosophy. It’s a proven model for sustainable growth,” Holden concludes. “When you lead with why, empower with trust, and execute with clarity, you don’t just build stronger teams, you build lasting success.”
Organizations that start with what they want to achieve get compliance. Organizations that start with why people’s work matters get commitment.
Start with why through methods like the seven whys that uncover core purpose. Empower with clarity and trust by making impact visible and creating direct feedback loops. Break purpose-driven goals into daily and weekly wins that maintain momentum.
If you’re looking to drive transformational change in your organization, start by asking the right questions and building systems that turn purpose into performance.
Connect with Timothy A. Holden on LinkedIn for insights on purpose-based leadership.
