News and Insights

The Beating Heart of a Successful Business: Why Purpose and People Matter

March 18, 2025

Two Visionaries, One Enduring Strategy

Gordon Gekko was more than just a magnetic movie character from the 1980s. He remains a recognizable stand-in for unfettered, unscrupulous self-enrichment. “Greed is good” was more than his recommended investment strategy. The edgy quotable became a rallying cry for how a persistent business segment operates; money alone is the defining mark of success.

While actor Michael Douglas secured an Academy Award for his portrayal of Gekko, it’s easy to understand why the fictional corporate raider he played ended up behind bars—but for some, a societal folks hero. Still, the idea that profit, above all, is the go-to business strategy lingers in the minds of too many corporate executives. Healthy business balance sheets prioritize profit and people.

David Finn and Hubert Joly—separated by four decades but united in philosophy—demonstrate that aligning purpose with profit leads to sustainable business success. David Finn is the iconic communication leader whose efforts pioneered an industry. In his 1969 book, The Corporate Oligarch, he highlights the dangers of unchecked corporate power and the importance of aligning business with social progress.

Decades later, Joly’s 2021 bestseller, The Heart of Business, validates Finn’s insights through his transformative leadership at Best Buy. It illustrates how a culture rooted in purpose empowers employees and strengthens customer relationships. Both leaders prove that businesses thrive when they foster trust, value stakeholders, and make a positive impact.

These two business giants likely never met, but their shared message is as relevant today as ever. The principles they champion—balancing purpose with profitability and valuing employees and communities—are the same principles that continue to define Best Buy and FINN Partners today. FINN Partners was founded with a core value of “making a difference in the world,” a legacy that reflects David Finn’s enduring influence. The agency’s commitment to social impact, integrity, and customer service demonstrates that purpose-driven leadership is not a window dressing; it’s a guiding pathway for success.

Purpose as a Competitive Advantage

Integrating purpose into a business model offers distinct advantages. Consumers are increasingly loyal to companies that align with their values, and employees who find meaning in their work are more engaged and productive. Purpose-driven companies often enjoy enhanced reputations, attracting top talent and fostering long-term relationships with investors and communities.

Joly’s leadership at Best Buy is a case in point; when home electronics stores faltered and shuttered stores, he transformed a struggling business into a thriving, purpose-driven enterprise by shifting the company’s focus toward empowering employees and creating value for customers and communities. Similarly, FINN Partners applies this approach across industries—working with clients to align business objectives with stakeholder expectations. The agency’s work in consumer marketing, corporate purpose, financial communications, health, integrated marketing, public affairs, and travel reflects this alignment of business objectives and customer priorities.

Unifying People and Profits

Finn and Joly challenge the notion that doing good and doing well are separate goals. They advocate for leadership that balances business success with social conscience, emphasizing that valuing employees, customers, communities, and the environment cultivates loyalty and relationships, key drivers for sustainable growth.

This mindset is embedded in FINN Partners’ culture. The agency’s work in purpose-driven communications reflects a belief that dynamic businesses should be a force for good—leveraging their influence to create positive social change while delivering measurable economic outcomes.

Five Principles That Drive Success

1. Relationships Build Loyalty – Operating with integrity and a commitment to shared values fosters strong relationships between customers and employees. Businesses must recognize that success comes from aligning purpose with performance. When businesses listen closely to their customers and employees, they create a culture of trust and responsiveness—driving meaningful engagement and sustainable growth.
2. Sustainability and Longevity—Prioritizing long-term thinking and corporate stewardship creates lasting value. When clients embed sustainability into business models, they future-proof success.
3. Leadership Responsibility – Leaders set the tone by embedding purpose into company culture and operations.  Their voices shape the narrative, guiding teams through challenges and opportunities with clarity and conviction. They reinforce the company’s values, inspiring stakeholder trust and driving strategic alignment across the organization.
4. Empowering Teams – Staff are the ambassadors for the company’s customer and shareholder value—their energy and voice set the tone for engagement. Employees who feel valued and connected to a greater mission drive innovation and success, becoming catalysts for growth and long-term impact.
5. Collaborative Impact – Collaboration drives innovation, sparks new ideas, and creates solutions that benefit everyone, ensuring a broader, more impactful reach for businesses and their communities. The collective effort of diverse perspectives results in stronger, adaptable organizations ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Recognizing Leadership Excellence

Hubert Joly’s leadership approach has been recognized in countless publications. In Harvard Business Review, Joly debunks the myth of the infallible leader, emphasizing authenticity, vulnerability, and collective intelligence as keys to modern leadership. His insights on leading with purpose and empowering employees continue to reshape leadership models across industries.

David Finn’s insights have stood the test of time. In The Corporate Oligarch, he argued that unchecked corporate power must be balanced with a moral and social responsibility to stakeholders.

Peter Finn, who saw his father as a business leader, mentor, and friend, recognized that his approach to valuing people and purpose in business was a model that deserved to be preserved and applied to modern corporate leadership. He was proved correct and, in less than 15 years, has built one of the world’s largest independent communication agencies—without private equity investment or holding company largess.

Today, FINN Partners continues that legacy, helping clients navigate the complexities of stakeholder expectations and align business objectives and strategies with social impact.

FINN Partners: Continuing the Legacy

FINN Partners remains a living testament to David Finn’s belief that business should be a force for good. Founded on the principle of “making a difference,” the agency continues to counsel clients on navigating the intersection of business and social impact. FINN’s work with global brands and sustainability leaders – an appreciation of how people and the planet must coexist for humanity to continue to exist – reflects a strategic commitment to values-driven business practices.

Gordon Gekko’s “greed is good” mentality may have defined a moment in time, but the enduring wisdom of David Finn and Hubert Joly demonstrates long-term business success. FINN Partners’ work today proves that businesses that align purpose with profitability are more sustainable and leave a lasting legacy of trust, value, and impact.