Sometimes inspiration strikes when you least expect it. Such was the case for Cees ’t Hart, CEO of Carlsberg Group in Hong Kong while traveling back from a visit to Carlsberg’s Hong Kong brewery. He spotted the book, The Founders Mentality in an airport bookstore, a title that resonated strongly with him when considering the Carlsberg brand.

That ‘founders mentality,’ is something that Cees ‘t not only sees as a vital element of Carlberg’s DNA and history as a company; but also something that had taken a backseat since the days of J. C. and Carl Jacobsen in the mid-19th century.

Hart believes that reawakening this mentality is essential to Carlsberg’s growth. But to do that, the company needs a clear purpose. This is where Carlberg’s new purpose statement took root. In order to get there, three questions were considered:

What is our ambition? What do we want to achieve? How are we going to achieve that?
At face value, these might look to be simple questions. But when considering the legacy the Carlsberg founders left behind, a careful reflection must not be overlooked. Hart explained, “You need to live, breath and feel the company in order to understand what the purpose could be.”

With that in mind, Carlsberg’s new purpose statement was born:

Brewing for a better today and tomorrow.

As Hart explained, a ‘better today’ focuses on great quality everyday, ensuring the Carlsberg brands are reaching consumers everyday and that those consumers are having fun with Carlsberg brews, everyday. However, the purpose is not just consumer-centric. Carlsberg has also purposefully focused on how that can contribute to society for a ‘better tomorrow’. In doing so, the company is actively investigating and sharing new ways to reduce their water waste and Co2 emissions output through their Together Toward Zero and SAIL'22 strategies.

But does purpose really matter? Is leading with purpose truly that important?

When asked this question, Hart countered with a simple answer:

“In my view, leading without purpose is similar to leading a company without a soul.”

Stating a clear purpose puts meaning behind the work being done. It provides guidance and direction toward a strategy, to the choices and investments being made. It influences the talent you attract and instills confidence in shareholders that the focus is not only on today, but on tomorrow as well.

“The purpose of Carlsberg is extremely important in our transformation. [It defines] the ‘what we want to achieve’, the ‘how we are going to achieve it’ and ‘why we are doing it.’”

With the company announcing 6% reductions in its energy and water consumptions, in addition to a 14% decrease in its Co2 emissions last year, it's quite evident Carlsberg is living up to its purpose.