What True Crime Can Teach Us About Running a Business

My wife is a true crime fan, constantly absorbed in shows and podcasts that follow detectives and their investigations. So, the other night, she made a brilliant observation: ‘Jury members want to know the motive behind the crime, just like consumers want to know the purpose behind a business.’ It’s a powerful reminder that just as motive drives a case, purpose drives a brand. One of the first things detectives always look for is MMO: means, motive, and opportunity. It’s what jurors want to know in court, what detectives search for, and what viewers like us obsess over—the motive. We want to understand why someone did what they did because, without that clear motive, we’re left with unresolved feelings, questioning the reason behind the crime.

This got me thinking: businesses aren’t all that different.

In the business world, your customers, employees, and even stakeholders always ask, why—what’s your motive? Why do you do what you do? Why should anyone care? Just as jurors look for a reason to convict, people want a reason to believe in your business. And when they don’t see a clear purpose, they feel the same frustration and confusion when they can’t determine the motive behind a crime.

Leading with purpose is like establishing a solid motive for your business. When you effectively communicate your “why”, you give people the answers they want. It creates trust, clarity, and direction. Just as detectives solve cases by understanding motive, successful businesses thrive when they have a clear purpose that aligns with the needs of their customers.

When you lead with purpose, you show people the genuineness of your motive, and in doing so, you eliminate the unresolved feelings of why people should care. Just like in a well-resolved case, everything aligns, and the reason behind your actions becomes clear. When people understand your “why,” they not only believe in what you do—they care about it too.