From Perfunctory to Purposeful: The Quiet War Against Hollow Leadership

There’s a Chinese phrase I’ve heard since young—“敷衍了事” (fū yǎn liǎo shì). Translated, it means to do something half-heartedly, with no real intention or engagement. The English word is perfunctory—a task done out of duty or habit, but without real interest, conviction, or meaning.

In leadership, perfunctory practices are silent killers. They dress up as culture but lack connection. They show up in schools, businesses, and even families—rituals, meetings, greetings, policies—things we do because we should, not because we believe.

This is not a rant.

This is a reflection—and a call to rehumanize leadership.

The Problem Beneath the Pattern

When I first encountered the concept of “perfunctory,” I didn’t yet have the vocabulary for what I was feeling—but I recognized the emptiness.

It was in:

• Staff meetings where no one spoke.
• Assemblies where students zoned out.
• Vision statements printed on brochures but absent from our daily walk.

Six Faces of Perfunctory Culture

To understand the spectrum of “empty form,” I categorized them into six patterns. These aren’t just abstract ideas—they showed up in our schools, our teams, and maybe even in your leadership context:

1. Perfunctory → Purposeful Repetition

Definition: Tasks done with no conviction—just to tick a box.

• Global Insight: At ISS Facility Services, CEO Jeff Gravenhorst realized many of their 500,000 employees had lost connection to the company’s purpose. He launched the “Find Your Apple” initiative—small circles where employees discussed what gave their work meaning. Productivity and alignment rose. Why? Because purpose was no longer a poster—it was personal.
• Scenario in Schools: Many schools display their vision in lobbies but never integrate it into actual teaching. The mission is celebrated during orientation week—then forgotten.
• Redemptive Move: One school ran weekly “vision links” where teachers opened lessons by naming which school value the topic reflected. Over time, students started doing it themselves. Purpose moved from wall to walk.

Leadership Insight: Repetition doesn’t have to be robotic. If tied to relevance, rhythm becomes reinforcement. Use it to prime identity.

2. Tokenistic → Symbolic Inclusion with Power

Definition: Inclusion in name, but not in influence.

• Global Insight: Kaiser Permanente’s Student Youth Advisory Councils empower students to lead health initiatives. Teens aren’t just mascots—they influence real programs, budgets, and strategy. Trust breeds maturity.
• Scenario in Schools: Student councils are often sidelined—hosting fun fairs but excluded from policy. They’re figureheads, not co-creators.
• Redemptive Move: A school assigned its student council a real issue—revamping the canteen experience. Students researched, ran surveys, proposed changes—and got budget approval. It wasn’t perfect, but it was real.

Leadership Insight: Representation without responsibility breeds apathy. Give them a stake. Then watch ownership emerge.

3. Ceremonial → Honoring Legacy with Story

Definition: Impressive events that lack emotional resonance.

• Global Insight: In a Purposebility story on multigenerational legacy, one school in Singapore transformed their Founder’s Day into a living timeline—alumni shared what the school meant to them. It wasn’t just tradition. It was transmission of values.
• Scenario in Schools: Prize-giving days often reward grades, not growth. Quiet leadership goes unnoticed. The ceremony becomes spectacle—not soul.
• Redemptive Move: Another school introduced values-based awards—like “Most Teachable,” “Peer Hero,” and “Integrity Under Pressure.” Students nominated each other. Trophies didn’t matter. Tears did.

Leadership Insight: Ceremonies can be sacred—if they reflect what truly matters. Use them to celebrate who your culture is becoming.

4. Ritualistic → Anchored Practices with Meaning

Definition: Repeated routines that have lost relevance.

• Global Insight: Harvard Business Review found that rituals, when meaningful, deepen employee connection. But when disconnected from purpose, they backfire—leading to disengagement and cynicism.
• Scenario in Schools: Assemblies can become passive consumption: anthem, announcements, scolding. Students scroll. Teachers survive.
• Redemptive Move: One school launched “Minute of Meaning”—where students or staff shared real stories: a small act of courage, a quiet win, a hard decision. It turned ritual into reflection.

Leadership Insight: Routines are powerful—but only if they help hearts align with purpose. Anchor them with story and relevance.

5. Bureaucratic → Stewardship Systems that Serve Growth

Definition: Admin systems that protect process over people.

• Global Insight: A 2022 research paper showed that bureaucratic evaluation systems limit innovation, especially in complex environments like schools. Teachers don’t need more checkboxes—they need coaches.
• Scenario in Schools: Traditional appraisals often involve last-minute form-filling, stress, and vague goals. There’s fear, not feedback.
• Redemptive Move: In one network, the performance review was rebuilt into a coaching cycle. Teachers chose focus areas, engaged in monthly mentoring conversations, and presented growth stories at year-end. Admins became allies.

Leadership Insight: Systems can serve or suffocate. Redesign them to protect both clarity and dignity.

6. Lip Service → Embodied Values with Accountability

Definition: Declaring values that aren’t lived.

• Global Insight: Edelman’s 2024 Trust Barometer found 63% of employees believe their company’s values are “just PR.” When what leaders say doesn’t match what teams feel, cynicism spreads fast.
• Scenario in Schools: Leaders say “We’re open to feedback”—but never respond to emails, dodge hard questions, or act defensively in staff meetings.
• Redemptive Move: One principal launched “Courageous Conversations Month.” Staff submitted anonymous feedback. The leadership team responded weekly in writing—and made two policy changes. Not all feedback was acted on—but all of it was honoured.

Leadership Insight: Lip service doesn’t just break trust—it breaks belief. Model vulnerability. Show your values in conflict, not just comfort.

Why This Matters

These aren’t just isolated problems. They’re structural symptoms of a deeper issue: when leaders confuse form with function.

• Vision without embodiment becomes branding.
• Inclusion without power becomes performance.
• Celebration without values becomes theatre.

And when that happens, culture erodes—not because people are bad, but because the system is quietly hollowing itself out.

But here’s the hope: every form can be redeemed—if reconnected to meaning.

From FORM to FORCE™

A framework to transform routines into culture-shaping forces.

Diagnostic: F.O.R.M.

Redesign: F.O.R.C.E.

Example in Action: Performance Reviews

Old Form

• Function: Teacher development
• Outcome: Felt like inspection
• Resonance: Low trust
• Momentum: Draining

FORCE Redesign

• Frame: This is about growth, not grading
• Operationalize: Monthly coaching with evidence from the classroom
• Reflect: Teachers share stories of learning, not just scores
• Co-Own: Peer feedback, self-assessment, and shared goals
• Evaluate: Reviewed annually with feedback loops

Final Reflection

The opposite of perfunctory leadership isn’t charisma.

It’s conviction lived through culture.

If your systems feel stale, your rituals feel hollow, or your teams feel disconnected—don’t panic.

It doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

It means the system is ready to be rehumanized.

Start small.

Start with one form.

Ask:

• What’s this really for?
• Is it working?
• Do we believe in it?
• Could it be more?

Then invite your team in. Redesign it together.

Because when form carries soul—

And structure serves spirit—

Leadership becomes legacy.