Former Allegan CEO David Pyott on Performance and Purpose

Former Allergan CEO David Pyott

A lot of companies think that they need to make themselves more friendly, not just to stockholders but to employees and to society. Having a broader purpose – something beyond simply making money – is how you do that and how you create strong corporate cultures.

I don’t believe that strong performance and purpose are at odds, not at all. My own experience tells me that in order for a company to be a really high performer, it needs to have a purpose. Money matters to employees up to a point, but they want to believe they’re working on something that improves people’s lives. I’ve also found that employees respond really favorably when management commits to responsible social behavior.

Quoted in HBR May-June 2017, “The CEO View: Defending a Good Company from Bad Investors. A conversation with former Allergan CEO David Pyott.”