High-performing organizations sustain growth because they ground performance metrics in a clear sense of purpose. Jamie Durling, an expert in operations and people leadership, has built his career helping companies align strategy with culture so performance becomes sustainable rather than short-lived. His approach centers on empowering employees, creating clarity, and ensuring the organization has the right resources to thrive.
Focusing on the Right Priorities
Durling sees top-performing leaders excel when they simplify objectives and stay disciplined. “I’ve found throughout my career that organizations that focus on a few priorities, goals, and targets see the clearest results,” he says. His solution is what he calls the “rule of three.” Instead of chasing dozens of competing goals, he helps organizations identify the three priorities that matter most. When leaders maintain this discipline, clarity follows. “If you are consistent, it is easier for employees to see the link. It is also simpler for the organization to reinforce and ensure alignment from one function to another,” Durling explains. Departments that align in this way build stronger collaboration and avoid duplication of effort.
Why Enablement Creates the Edge
High-performing organizations go beyond engagement by ensuring employees are enabled to succeed. “You can have employees who are engaged, but they are only productive if they are enabled,” Durling explains. Enablement is the foundation: having enough people to share the workload, proper training, and access to resources. “The organizations that perform best combine performance focus with enablement,” he says. He describes it as an angel and a devil on each shoulder. The devil pushes for higher productivity with fewer resources. The angel reminds him that people need support to perform well. “You do not get engagement without effective enablement,” he emphasizes. “And that really comes down to the level of resources.”
Communicating with Transparency
Strong leadership communication creates trust and alignment. “Leadership transparency is absolutely crucial,” Durling says. “The best organizations consistently communicate the strategy, the progress, and the direction.” Transparency, he argues, works both ways, during good times and challenging times. When performance exceeds expectations, employees should know what drove results. When targets are missed, they should understand where improvements are possible. “I find that it is better to be transparent both when the organization is operating strongly and to explain the reasons why, but also when the organization is not performing to expectations and identify the opportunities for improvement,” Durling explains. With clarity, employees adjust their approach, replicate what works, and avoid repeating mistakes.
Building Purpose-Driven Cultures
Not every leader is immediately comfortable with purpose-driven cultures or enablement-focused leadership. Durling frames this not as a weakness, but as an opportunity for fit and growth. “Leaders should evaluate the type of culture and organization they best fit in,” he says. Most hesitation, he finds, comes from lack of understanding. “Ninety percent of the time, once employees grasp the concept, they are dedicated and operate effectively. A lot of it comes down to comprehension.”
For organizations that want to accelerate adoption, Durling recommends linking culture metrics directly to compensation. When bonus structures include engagement and enablement measures, priorities shift quickly. “If you start saying part of your total compensation is going to be impacted by how effectively engaged and enabled the employees are in the organization or within your function, they usually very quickly make it a priority.” The connection to profit becomes clear when you follow the numbers. Durling tracks units per transaction, average transaction values, conversion rates, and customer repurchase rates. “All of those things you start to see with an enabled organization. You observe how those KPIs start to move slowly upwards,” he explains.
The People-Profit Connection
When employees understand their role in the bigger picture and have the tools to succeed, performance improves. If operating expenses stay controlled while key metrics rise, profits follow naturally. “If you are keeping your operating expense flat or not expanding at the same level that the top line is increasing and those KPIs are improving, you directly impact the bottom line.” The organizations that consistently align purpose, enablement, and strategy outperform competitors. They achieve results that last, not just for a quarter but over the long term, sustaining both people and profit.
Connect with Jamie Durling on LinkedIn to explore how strategic enablement drives performance.
