This post was originally published on www.forbes.com.

What do the founders of Google and the ground crew from NASA’s Apollo 13 space mission have in common?

Each team had a shared purpose: helping to unite diverse individuals to achieve a critical mission.

The developers of Google envisioned a future where the world’s information was available at the click of a keyboard. The NASA team responsible for the crew of the disabled Apollo 13 spacecraft was dedicated to bringing the astronauts home safely, by any means.

When teams have a clear sense of purpose, members of that team are more likely to feel personally invested in their work. This connection drives motivation and proactive involvement and fosters a sense of ownership in the team's success.

How do you instill a sense of purpose on your team? As a leader in the construction industry for three decades, I believe there are four characteristics of people who lead with purpose.

1. They reflect on their personal purpose and instill those values in their team.
   My purpose is to build better communities through building better people. I get great joy from watching families in the community enjoy the schools, venues and facilities that my company builds. I know that putting the right person in place to lead these projects is critical to their success, which is why when hiring someone to my leadership team I look for someone who is just as dedicated to developing the people who report to them as they are to growing their own career.
2. They give their team a mission, not a task list.
   Employees want to know that their work makes an impact. Your job as a leader is to help your team understand how their role benefits the larger organization and creates a purpose that underpins the tasks they do every day. Leaders don’t just say, “Do this.” They explain the “why” behind a new project or a change in processes to earn buy-in from the team.
3. They identify the unique purpose of individuals on their team — and celebrate it.
   At my company, we not only look to hire employees with a personal purpose. We continue to discuss the importance of knowing their “why” throughout their professional development. We want employees to have a greater reason for coming to work than a paycheck and want to make sure their purpose aligns with the organization’s mission. It’s also important to help employees understand their unique value. By recognizing the insight or skill set that sets them apart from other employees, they will understand the purpose and important role they play on your team.
4. They inspire the team to work toward a common vision.
   When I look to hire a new leader, I look for someone who can drive all the members of their team in the same direction. Even if you strive to instill a shared purpose in your employees, everyone is going to have a different value or belief that drives them. A leader can inspire everyone to harness their purpose to achieve a common mission — everyone may show up with different oars, but a leader can get the team rowing in the same direction.

Purpose often makes the difference between the cohesive team we all dream of joining or the chaotic, dysfunctional team experienced by far too many in the workplace. It’s the foundation that inspires your team to unite behind a shared mission, no matter how different everyone may be.

When you model the characteristics above, you'll build a purpose-filled team that is more engaged, united and fulfilled by their work. While your team may not be rescuing a space crew or launching world-changing technology, you’ll be laying the groundwork to achieve success — together.