There is a telling story about John F. Kennedy’s visit to the NASA space centre to meet the team preparing for the Apollo missions. When Kennedy spotted a janitor with a broom over his shoulder, he walked over. Ever the consummate politician, he said, ‘Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy. What are you doing?’ (even though the broom was a pretty dead giveaway). ‘Well, Mr President,’ the janitor replied, ‘I’m helping to put a man on the moon.’ It’s a story that shows the value of giving employees a sense of ownership in the larger endeavour, of giving them purpose.
