It is imperative to have a clear purpose about why you are here. Without this clarity you will wander amongst opportunities and challenges and then one day ask your self, “How did I end up here?” As a leader, if you do not have a clear purpose, your ego may get in the way of making key decisions and undermine your authenticity (see last week’s post). Your purpose statement serves as your internal GPS to guide you in navigating to success.
Purpose versus Vision
Your purpose is unique and internal to you based on your strengths, passions, and beliefs. It is your internal guide to help you make decisions and give you a strong personal foundation.
Your business vision and purpose is separate from your internal purpose; it inspires you and your team to drive the business for success. A compelling vision can make the difference between an employee who leaves their brain at the door each day and goes through the motions to one who sees the higher value of their daily work and is thinking about ways to do it better and making suggestions for improvement. See my post from July 15, 2009 “How Do You Define Success?” for more information about creating a compelling cause or vision for your teams to rally around.
Aligning your purpose with that of your business or leadership role is critical for long term success. If you find that your purpose is not being served by your role then you must make adjustments (changing positions or businesses) that are often quite difficult but necessary for true success. You may consider family responsibilities or possible volunteer work that fulfills your purpose. If, however, your business role is in conflict with your purpose then I would challenge you to start considering the steps required for changing your role.
Purpose and Values
If your purpose in owning a business or being in a management role is solely for the money and/or prestige then you weaken your ability to navigate through difficult times. Even if you appear successful by external measures you will be internally dissatisfied and be on the perpetual treadmill longer and longer and thinking that fulfillment is just around the next corner.
In my corporate career I coached many people who came to me expressing their strong desire to be in management. My first question was something along these lines, “What is it about the Director or Manager position that appeals to you?” Some people looked at me like I had two heads. They would repeat their desire to move up to the next level- isn’t it obvious that to be successful I need to move up? Unfortunately what the majority of people did not understand is that moving up the corporate ladder is a by-product of fulfilling an internal purpose; it is not the purpose itself. In my corporate career I took several lateral positions and moved into and out of management positions a couple of different times. My decisions about the positions I took were based on alignment with my values and purpose and not about the number of people reporting to me or the prestige of the title.
Identifying your key values and aligning your purpose with them will assure you have a focus on lasting success and true authenticity. Think about the values that really resonate with you and narrow them down to the three to five that you feel represent who you are (not who you think you should be). Here are some values to get you thinking: Excellence, Creativity, Honesty, Compassion, Enthusiasm, Fun, Security, Generosity, Commitment, Happy, Spirituality, Community, Passion, Solitude, Responsibility, Balance.
Not Concrete
I get an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach sometimes when I am working on a task that feels like it will be set in concrete with no ability to change it later. Occasionally this feeling stops me from completing the task and procrastination has arrived! Don’t let a fear of permanence stop you from clarifying your purpose. My purpose statement is not the same as it was ten years ago. It is similar but not the same. You are a different person than you were just yesterday but you have some common core values with that person you were ten or twenty years ago. We change as we learn and experience our lives; your purpose will most likely change. Make it a priority right now to draft your purpose statement and your key values then plan to review them every few years and make adjustments. It will make all the difference in the world in guiding you to success.
photo credits: sidewalkflying, ozyman
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