I would argue differently. While profits fuel a company’s growth, irresistible companies are essentially institutions that garner loyalty, commitment, and energy from their employees. And in today’s service-driven world, they attract the same level of energy and loyalty from customers. Profit, rather than being a goal, is an outcome.

She also shared that customers today no longer want products; they want experiences. When you get on a plane, shop on Amazon, walk into a store, or go to a restaurant, you don’t just want a good seat, good electronics, and good food; you want a good experience.

Profits are important to a company because they affect the company’s ability to secure financing and attract investors who can increase working capital and fund business growth. But purpose is the real fuel of a company. It gives people the energy, enthusiasm, and creativity to add value in many ways.

culture is the U.S. Armed Forces. Earlier in my career, I worked with a senior leader who trained many of the Navy’s admirals. I learned from him the philosophy of the U.S. military: “We do two things around here: we train and we fight. When we aren’t fighting, we’re training. And when we are fighting, we’re learning.”187

As I’ve studied this topic over the years, I’ve continuously found that the highest performing companies always have one thing in common: they embrace a culture of learning. People are able to take time to learn, they have a culture of sharing and development, and managers are coaches, mentors, and educators at heart.

Wellbeing encompasses much more than fitness centers, nap rooms, or even good compensation. Companies must take a holistic approach by understanding what factors drive employee stress, anxiety, and fatigue—all of which hamper performance.

Despite this proliferation of perks, my research shows that entertainment alone does not really engage employees. A better approach is to target perks toward a specific purpose, such as attracting new employees, easing financial burdens, or encouraging employees to put more time into the

Diversity training, while interesting and useful, rarely changes behavior. Plenty of studies have shown that investment in such training does not reduce lawsuits or change the level of diversity in the company.141 A longitudinal study of 829 companies over 31 years showed that diversity training had no positive effects in the average workplace.

More and more companies are starting to realize that wellbeing is also a strategy for engagement. If employees show up for on-site work or to virtual conferences not feeling well—tired, sick, or distracted by home or financial problems—their productivity suffers.