The Path to Personal Leadership is Paved in Purpose
Considering the work of Simon Sinek to Tony Robbins, or Martha Beck to Brené Brown, there is a common thread.
These thought leaders share a similar call to action: find your purpose. Knowing your purpose is foundational to creating effective personal leadership for yourself. Discovering your why will allow your what and your how to be clear and your future decisions to be rooted in your heart’s purpose.
Our century is both blessed and somewhat cursed by innovative opportunities. The ability to reinvent, reimagine and realign can cause our pace to become frenetic, especially if we are functioning in capacities that are not aligned with our personal objectives. Keeping your purpose at the forefront of your mind brings meaning and value to your leadership efforts both for yourself and for your people.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself to get to the heart of your efforts:
Why do you do what you do? At the end of the day, when it is just you and your thoughts, ask yourself, in a quiet moment, what is it about your work (or your life) that fills your cup? Be honest with yourself, and, if you have a hard time deciding the value in your current work, allow that to be a chance to consider a new perspective. If you have fallen into a head down, eyes down practice, rather than a heads up, eyes wide, intentional approach, this may the starting point to seeking the underlying reason for your work. Determine what is the energy pull that draws you in to the work that you do.
What, both in work, and outside of work, brings you joy? Be mindful not to consider just the people, places or things that bring you joy, but why specifically those people, places or things. What situations in your work environment truly get you fired up? What collaborative or individual efforts do you look forward to, or relish when you are in the work? Bring awareness to those times.
What skills, talents, abilities and knowledge do you have that your industry, organization or greater network needs? You have everything you need inside of you to actualize your greatness and drive your purpose. What do you have within you that needs to surface, and how can you center that as your true north?
Discovering and defining your life’s purpose not a short-term activity. It takes time, and intention, but it is well worth your efforts. Engaging in professional growth opportunities will allow you to bring clarity to what drives you. Having the tools, you need to find your purpose becomes an exciting journey, rather than a stressful goal. As an LMI Effective Personal Leadership® facilitator, please reach out if I can support you to find your purpose, to lead with intention and to re-establish the joy in your efforts.
- Amy Parrill