LAST YEAR I ran across a gentleman who runs the local LearningRx franchise.  I’d never heard about them before, but they do some amazing things with helping children learn.  And adults too!

LearningRXThis person offered a very generous gift: a free copy of The Purpose Directed Business.  This book was written by Dr Ken Gibson, the founder of the company, and really captures the philosophy behind what the company’s about.

In a word: Leadership.

Yeah, I know.  Everybody out there throws the word about carelessly.  “We’re a leader in our market.”  “Every employee is a leader.”  “Our vision is to lead the world in innovation.”  Blah blah blah.

KenGibsonDr Gibson approaches it differently, and his audience for this book is primarily the franchisees who are leading each location.  He talks about leadership as an internal attribute, which then displays itself outwardly in relationships to your family, your employees, and your customers.

There’s a strong sense of servant-leadership, where it’s more as a service to others than putting yourself out in front.  And also the sense of making a difference in the world by delivering something which changes peoples’ lives.

And profit is clearly in service of those goals, not the primary reason why the company exists.

Now here’s what I find fascinating:  Dr Gibson doesn’t use the word “leadership” very much – that’s the label I put on it.  Instead, he tells stories about how he lives his life and how he wants franchisees to run their businesses.  He doesn’t fret about creating the nice handy catchphrase.

And it’s powerful.

Go read the book.  Then have an inspiring chat with a local LearningRx franchise owner.