Punit Renjen

For millennials, conducting business with a purpose that goes beyond making profits is critically important in determining the kind of company they want to work for - and the kind of company with whom they are willing to do business.

Leaders who understand the importance of the intangible elements contributing to workplace culture become sensitive to what makes their organization truly special. That is how they define core values and beliefs that are unique, simple, leader-led, repetitive, and embedded - transforming themselves from good to exceptional.

Exceptional businesses sustain bottom-line results, which they invest to create meaningful, positive impact for their stakeholders.

If corporations are to remain a legitimate instrument of collective action, they must concern themselves directly with the well-being of those party to, and affected by, their actions.

Rethinking product supply chains offers another opportunity for traditional enterprises to introduce a host of positive outcomes.

As a society, we need to refocus on creating an economy that works for everyone. I believe the business community is in the best position to lead the way.

I grew up in India. From my childhood, I remember the great reverence that people held for our national hero, Mahatma Gandhi. He galvanized millions to march as one, disarmed the empire that had ruled his country for nearly a century, and enabled India to become a free and independent nation.

Technology is advancing at breakneck speed, upending old ways of doing business and resetting the social contract between employers and employees.

Fresh out of grad school, I arrived for my first day of work at Deloitte ready for the long haul. For my generation, that's what those early years were about - laying the foundation for a lifelong career with a great organization. More than 30 years later, I'm still with Deloitte, and I have no regrets.

For acquiring companies, the excitement is almost always about where they are going - that is, their strategy for gaining greater growth and productivity. But when mergers fail, it's often because no one focused on who they are - that is, their culture, which is critical to successfully bringing different groups of people together.