How to Write North Star Statements: 250 Purpose, Mission, Vision, and Values Examples to Guide You Through the Process

We like to conceptualize these different North Star statements as different parts of the human body.

• Purpose:  The soul of a person is their animating raison d’etre or reason for being, and answers the fundamental question:  “Why do we exist?”.
• Vision:  The eyes look up and see beyond the horizon into the future to provide clear direction.
• Mission:  The heart provides the necessary lifeblood to keep moving towards our target – it guides our day-to-day decisions.
• Values:  The hands enable our actions and decisions in this world.  How we treat each one another along the way forms the foundation of culture.
• Strategy:  The brain helps align and direct our actions… to maximize our chances at success.

Taken all together, these North Star statements help your employees, customers, and investors understand what your organization is fighting for… and how it’s going to win that fight.

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To get started, click here to download our free North Star statements eBook and a list of 250 purpose, mission, vision, and values statement examples.

Purpose Statement

The purpose statement answers the question of why your organization exists, beyond profit. What is your company’s core reason for being? What does it stand for? Where does it have a unique, positive impact on the world? It speaks to the soul of the organization, guiding mission, vision, and values.

A purpose statement should be inspiring and ambitious. It uses powerful wording, but it is not vague. It states the outcome of what your organization wishes to achieve or the difference your organization will make. A purpose statement doesn’t have to be aimed only toward employees or customers, it can also be applicable and motivational to a broad array of stakeholders.

When writing a purpose statement, consider the following questions:

• Why do we exist?
• What problems are we solving?
• What makes us unique?
• How are we making things better?

Examples

• Ford: To help build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.
• General Mills: Making food the world loves.
• Pfizer: Breakthroughs that change patients’ lives
• Ralph Lauren: To inspire the dream of a better life through authenticity and timeless style.
• United Airlines: Connecting people, uniting the world
• Whole Foods: To nourish people and the planet.

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Best Practices Video
Bâton Global's shares our secrets learned from helping organizations worldwide write winning Purpose, Mission, Vision and Value statements.

Vision Statements

The vision statement describes the future of the organization. It reveals what the company aspires to be or hopes to achieve in the long-term. The vision statement is inspirational and motivational but also provides direction, mapping out where the organization is headed. In this regard, it serves as a guide for choosing current and future courses of action.

An effective vision statement should be concise, unambiguous, futuristic, realistic, aspirational, and inspirational. It shouldn’t be generic but rather, focus on outcomes specific to the organization.

When writing a vision statement, consider these questions:

• Where are we going moving forward?
• What do we want to achieve in the future?
• What kind of future society do we envision?

Examples:

• Habitat for Humanity: A world where everyone has a decent place to live.
• LinkedIn: To create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.
• Wikimedia Foundation: Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. That’s our commitment.
• Southwest Airlines: To be the world’s most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.

Mission Statements

The mission statement defines what you do and for whom. It guides the day-to-day operations of the organization, communicates to external stakeholders the core solutions the organization provides in society, and motivates employees toward a common near-to-medium term goal. In short, the mission statement paints a picture of who the company is and what the company does.

A good mission statement should only focus on what is most important to the organization. It should be brief, clear, informative, simple, and direct. It should avoid elaborate language, clichés, and generalizations and it should emphasize outcomes and the people the organization is serving.

When writing a mission statement, consider the following questions:

• What do we do today?
• Who do we serve?
• What are we trying to accomplish?
• What impact do we want to achieve?

Examples:

• LinkedIn: To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.
• Starbucks: To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.
• Sweetgreen: To build healthier communities by connecting people to real food.
• Tesla: To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
• TripAdvisor: To help people around the world plan and have the perfect trip.

Values Statements

Values statements (or core values) specify an organization’s core principles and philosophical ideals. It is used to both inform and guide the decisions and behaviors of the people inside the organization and signal to external stakeholders what’s important to the company. An organization’s core values shape daily culture and establish standards of conduct against which actions and decisions can be assessed.

A values statement should be memorable, actionable, and timeless. The format of the values statement depends on the organizations; some organizations use one, two or three words to describe their core values while others provide a short phrase.

When drafting a values statement, some questions to consider include:

• What do we stand for?
• What behaviors do we value over all else?
• How will we conduct our activities to achieve our mission and vision?
• How do we treat members of our own organization and community?

Examples:

Gusto

• Embody a service mindset: Never stop advocating for the needs of others.
• Dream big, then make it real: Be ambitious. Show and do is greater than tell and talk.
• Be proud of the how: Ensure deep integrity in everything you do.
• Embrace an ownership mentality: Take initiative to leave things better than you found them
• Debate then commit: Share openly, question respectfully, and once a decision is made, commit fully.
• Build with humility: Put collective success before individual achievements.

Patagonia

• Build the best product
• Cause no unnecessary harm
• Use business to protect nature
• Not bound by convention

Download 250 Free Examples

To get started, click here to download our free North Star statements eBook and a list of 250 purpose, mission, vision, and values statement examples.

Purpose Statement

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Summary

Purpose, vision, mission, and values statements are the guiding forces behind an organization. The purpose statement answers the question why your organization exists; the vision statement provides insight into what the world looks like when you achieve your why; and the mission statement communicates how your brand is going to achieve your why and for whom. Underpinning your why, how, who, and what is your values, which reflects the behaviors and principles that guide your organization’s operations. Together, purpose, mission, vision, and values are the North Star statements that provide strategic direction for your organization, informing current and future business strategies.

Our team at Bâton has tremendous experience and expertise developing these strategic North Star statements… and aligning execution to these aspirations. If you would like to meet with one of our experts, please feel free to call or email us at any time (+1.234.BGlobal or bg@batonglobal.com).

Download 250 Free Examples

To get started, click here to download our free North Star statements eBook and a list of 250 purpose, mission, vision, and values statement examples.