Purpose without power is just poetry

DeVaney leads innovation and strategy work in higher education and sits on boards. He logged Incorruptible as book 32 of his 52Books2026 reading challenge and wrote it up as the year's most thought-provoking read on organizational design: Ries's mission lock, where governance and incentives are built so a purpose outlasts the people who set it, and the claim that an organization is itself the best product a company has.

“Ries asks how organizations stay true to their mission? His answer is that purpose alone isn't enough. As he memorably puts it, "Purpose without power is just poetry."” — James DeVaney on LinkedIn