L.E.K. Consulting is a global strategy consulting firm that helps its clients to consistently make better decisions, deliver improved business performance and create greater shareholder returns.

It takes pride in facilitating exceptional personal and professional growth for its people, enabling them to pursue their career goals in a way that benefits them personally, their clients, and the communities in which they operate.

And as a people-based business, attracting and retaining the right individuals is crucial to L.E.K.’s short- and long-term success. Increasingly, employees are looking for more than a ‘job’; they are seeking a role with Purpose, at an organisation that has a clear vision for its role in the commercial world and on the broader community, and which enriches the experience of all those it influences. 

Getting this right means elevating the business above its commercial operations and success, defining how it contributes to society more broadly.

Having previously worked with L.E.K. on a brand refresh, Chromatic was engaged by the marketing team and a panel of senior partners to advise on a project to define L.E.K.’s global Purpose, capturing the essence of the company’s purpose and conveying that idea to both internal and external audiences.

Hiring and retaining the best people is a top priority for professional services firms, whose reputation relies on the quality of the individuals they recruit, retain, and develop into future leaders.

To win in this intensely competitive environment, L.E.K. identified the critical role of Purpose in the overall employee value proposition and the rapidly evolving expectations of clients and society at large regarding a commercial entity’s responsibilities.

While L.E.K. had many qualities that set it apart from its competitors, it understood that further advantage could be achieved through the definition and articulation of a clear Purpose for the global business that underpinned all other cultural, development, and service messages.

The objectives for this project addressed several needs:

• Support hiring and improve staff retention by focusing on the contribution made by L.E.K., its people, alumni and clients

• Create a clear organisational Purpose to underpin the already strong culture as the firm grows globally

• Support external brand profile by creating a platform from which to communicate existing and new initiatives around sustainability, DEI, pro bono work and community endeavours, and the firm’s continued success for clients.

Purpose statements cannot be plucked from the air if they are to inform new ways of thinking and working. They should be based on deeply held beliefs and relate to long-term ambitions.

To address this challenge, Chromatic conducted research with current, prospective and former colleagues across multiple levels of the organisation. This helped us to create a framework for a Purpose statement that is firmly placed at the centre of the organisation, informed by the existing Mission, Vision and Values.

“Devoted to Better” – Captures L.E.K.’s commitment to achieving exceptional outcomes for its clients, people and communities. It articulates L.E.K.’s dedication to striving for real insights and incontrovertible truths in its work, and a genuine desire to play a meaningful part in resolving business and societal challenges.

The concept “Devoted to Better” has been embraced as a core organisational principle throughout L.E.K. It is now used extensively across external communications and is embedded within its company values. And as L.E.K.’s inexorable growth seems to suggest, Purpose and high performance can go hand in hand.