In an executive education program I taught, I started by asking a group of mid-career leaders why business exists. The room went dead silent. These were smart, accomplished professionals, but they had never seriously thought about it. 

That silence said a lot.

Business is a Social Enterprise

Business exists to provide value to society. Plain and simple. 

Every company you know—from Apple to the corner bakery—started because someone wanted to improve something for others. Think about it: meeting important needs is a loving act. This is, quite literally, how business makes love (yes, you can use that line to liven up your next board meeting!)

Love at the Core

Patagonia was founded on the desire to protect the planet. USAA was born to serve military families when nobody else would insure them. Even Post-it Notes were invented by accident—and then refined to make people’s work lives easier. All of these sprang from the same seed: a loving desire to make things better. 

I bet the same is true for your organization. 

Research shows that a focus on providing value to society pays off. Companies like Unilever and Starbucks, which have put purpose at the heart of their strategy, consistently outperform peers in long-term value creation.

Money as Result, Not Reason

When you put love at the center, money tends to follow.

The truth is, being grounded in love creates a powerful shift. Instead of obsessing over quarterly earnings calls, leaders can focus on contribution, relationships, and impact. 

Of course, businesses get money in return. But money is a by-product of business, not the reason for it. When companies forget this and chase dollars alone, they lose their soul—and eventually their customers, too.

• Why do you think business exists?
• If business is about making life better, how are you showing that through your leadership?
• Where might money have distracted your organization from its real reason for being?

Quick Favor!

I’m kicking off a new Amare Leadership book series based on these newsletters and want your input. Which of these topics should I write first? Contact me here and send me the number(s) you like best.

1. Real Love at Work — Why being “too nice” fails your team and what to do instead.
2. Inner Strength — Stay centered and take inspired action when work gets stressful.
3. Authentically YOU — Really showing up for your people as the best version of yourself.
4. Clarity — Cutting through the noise and busy-ness to get focused and build trust.
5. Fun Factor — Making joy a serious and sustainable leadership strategy.
6. Hard Conversations — Turning tough talks into moments of truth and trust.
7. Sparking Change — Inspire your team to be their best by leading with love.

Your vote will help shape the very first book in the series!

3 Amare Action Steps to Ground Your Organization in Love

1. Revisit your why. Go back to the origin story of your business. What was the love-based reason it started? Dust it off and bring it front and center.

2. Flip the script. Instead of asking, “How do we make more money?” try, “How do we make life better for those we serve?” See where that takes you.

3. Put money in its place. Treat profit as the oxygen that keeps your business alive, not as the purpose of your existence. Oxygen is vital, but no one wakes up in the morning just to breathe.

Your Bigger Why

When your business exists to serve, it reinvents commerce as a profoundly human act. Love becomes the multiplier—building loyalty, trust, energy, and yes, sustainable profit.

So take the time to ask—and answer—this fundamental question: Why does your business exist? 

The right answer will not only guide your decisions but also energize people, attract customers, and set you apart.

Businesses that truly make life better don’t just survive. They thrive—and help the rest of us thrive, too.

Lead with love!

Moshe

Today’s Amare Wave Wednesday Quote

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” (women too!)” 

— Albert Einstein

   

Click here and read more Amare Wave Wednesday newsletters on related topics:

Lead with Confidence: How to Stay Grounded in Times of Constant Change

Vital Farms’ Playbook for How to Lead Through a Crisis Without Compromise – and Win

The Cost of Winning at All Costs: Business as War vs. Business as Love

Turn Your Values Into a Scalable Business Advantage: Lessons from Vital Farms’ Founder Matt O’Hayer

The Truth about Love-Powered Leadership in the Often Brutal World of Business

   

Original article published on Inc.com.