- Geekmaster
- 2021-07-03 09:30:53
- 14 minute(s)
How to Lead With Purpose & Uncover The Power of Why
The modern workplace has radically transformed. Leaders today have to ensure that their teams can succeed in the right organizational structure while dealing with massive change. They need to lead with purpose and uncover the power of why.
Effective leadership starts with a commitment to purpose, worthwhile work and making a difference.
Maybe you are willing to become a leader, but don’t know what it means to truly lead. Leaders do not just share a vision and get their team excited; they also help clarify the path for the future. A leader knows how to show up and step up not just during the good times, but also during times of change and challenge.
After all, if a leader and their team are not aligned with their vision, values and goals how can anyone be expected to succeed and achieve?
When your team members aren’t aligned around a powerful purpose, you’ll have a hard time standing out from the competition, reaching your goals and driving results. And this type of purpose goes far beyond a standard corporate mission.
So how do you give your people the feeling that they’re doing something important? What follows will get you started on leading with purpose.
Leading organizations bring their purpose to life by driving alignment across leadership and creating opportunities for employees to engage. This post is designed for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and executives who need a simple roadmap to get started on their journey. Here are some tips to help you lead with purpose and uncover the power of why.
Step #1 : Share Your Vision
Your vision lets your team know where you want your organization to go — a word picture of your dreams and how you’re going to get there. Once you have it, share it with them often so everyone has their eyes on the same prize. And don’t forget to celebrate the wins along the way.
Vision emerges from the sense of purpose.
It forms the why, but it also embraces the future as in “to become” the best, the highest quality, or the most trusted. Organizations that succeed are those that know where they are headed and why. Leaders of purpose tap into the power of narrative to help employees make sense of adversity and have faith in their organization’s ability to not just survive, but continually adapt and thrive.
Doing things ‘on purpose’ is a hallmark of the most inspirational and successful leaders.
These are the people who can lead their business with total clarity and an unwavering commitment, secure in the knowledge of not just what they’re doing, but why they’re doing it. Once the purpose is clear, share it with your people. What you will then see is this purpose cascading down. The more conversations you have about purpose, the more you are co-creating it — it’s not my purpose or your purpose, it’s our purpose.
Leadership engagement is critical but not sufficient.
Commitment to purpose must be demonstrated at every level of the organization. That requires support and resources to enable people to fulfill two important steps: helping individual employees identify what is most meaningful to them and empowering them to use this as a filter for decision-making by showing how their personal purpose connects with the organization’s purpose.
Since you are a man of vision it is important that you convey the things which you are envisioning to the employees so that they too are encouraged to dream big.
If you keep them at sea about what you are doing and what the company is up to, then they will never be able to feel at one with the company. A leader with purpose is someone who is able to unite everyone in the company so that everyone works in unison and no one ends up trying to chase their own selfish motives or agendas.
Step #2 : Help Your People Grow
One of the best ways to build a business bigger than you is to delegate. It also shows your team that you trust them, which brings out the best in people. They want to rise to the occasion and stay engaged with their jobs.
Leading with purpose means that not only do you have the purpose but you inspire others to have this sense of purpose within them as well.
Leading with purpose is that you convey to the employees how their distinct function affects the general performance of the company. If they feel important and needed then they are bound to give their best. In addition to letting them feel important they will understand that if they do not do their respective jobs in a proper manner, then it will be very easy for you to trace a problem back to them especially considering how transparent the entire system is.
Leaders who lead with purpose instill purpose in others. They prioritize people.
People have to know what they are doing and why they are being asked to do it. You need to look for ways you can create an environment where people can see how their work contributes to the bigger whole. To cultivate and leverage high-performing people, emphasize mission, values, creation, collaboration, and execution, establish clear expectations for behavior, and embrace the credo: “Honor the workforce.”
Many companies struggle to find the skills and leadership needed to grow their business.
Being a purpose-driven organization can make you more attractive to candidates, particularly Millennials and Generation Z, who value purpose as much as paycheck — if not more. The way you treat your employees says a lot about how much you pay attention to stakeholders, not just shareholders. An organization that’s committed to doing good will oftentimes start with its own employees.
When a leader encourages the team to grow, it shows you have taken an interest in the individual and that they are valued.
As a result, an employee will also feel bonded to the team, leading to longevity and them wanting to provide value back to the company. A leader with a purpose does not focus on himself rather he drives everyone and ensure that they do give their best as that is what is expected from them, no matter what. Besides, leaders who find clarity in chaos, practice the virtues of pragmatism, and teach critical thinking skills will make living with uncertainty easier for their people — and themselves.
Step #3 : Never Accept Defeat
Daring to dream is something which not all of us are capable of. But a leader with a purpose can do it as he works tirelessly towards achieving what he has set out to achieve in terms of his individual achievements as well as in terms of what he desires for the firm.
Leaders with purpose turn good intentions into great results.
Even in a tough world and a people-sensitive company, it’s a bottom-line fact: the work still has to get done. Leaders of purpose balance creativity with practicality; keep a firm eye on efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability; and strive to instill ownership in every individual worker.
Leading people through change requires more than sound operational tactics; it also requires inspiration.
The best leaders know this and operate in ways that inject an extra oomph into their people and make them resilient in the face of external shocks and disruptions. They show visible conviction and enthusiasm for the mission, invest in their people, and always do the right things — no matter the consequences. They leave behind strong and resilient organizations that continue to persist and thrive after they have moved on to new challenges.
Leading with purpose means setting you and your team up for success, and that can best be achieved by creating a framework to accomplish your personal and shared goals.
Being intentional about establishing a framework takes focus, and it’s something I try to do on a daily basis. When setting up your own plan, remember that it needs to be flexible to allow for deviations and roadblocks. And accept that you can’t control every step of the process, especially when it involves others. Focus on what you can control — your attitude and how you react to others.
Failures are our best teachers; Make it safe to fail (as well as prevail). Put some balls into it.
Reasonable risk, daring to try something radical while keeping a grip on what works and what doesn’t, is critical to every breakthrough success. Leaders of purpose explore the impetus for change — reason, urgency, action — before leaping; respect their people’s resourcefulness; and handle setback with grace.
Step #4 : Establish Clear Goals
In order for a person to lead with purpose he must be well aware of what he is doing. If he is unsure of himself or what is expected of someone who is in his position then he will never be able to do what is expected of him, rather he will just be a wanderer that acts erratically.
In addition, leading with purpose implies reviewing the company goals constantly to ensure you do not lose sight of them.
A simple way to remain a leader with a purpose is by ensuring that you constantly stay up to date with all that the company represents, so that at no point in time do you lose track of things or forget what it is that you are aiming for. In this world, there are plenty of things which serves as temptations and at such times it is only a reminder like this, which serves as a reality check that will keep the leader grounded and stable.
You also need to establish goals that are measurable.
Make them in sequence and always apply behavioral flexibility and business acuity. If it doesn’t work, move on, change it or review it. Goals can be flexible. I particularly like doing goals in timeline phases. One week from now, one month from now, three months, six months, twelve months, eighteen months and two years. You get the gist.
Reinforcing goals equally means never oscillating or being unpredictable.
Making rash decisions is certainly not something a person who leads with purpose does, in addition to that he or she does not oscillate from one decision to another. He ensures that he stands by promises which he has taken, words he has said or even things he has done. If he has gotten the company into problem he takes it upon himself to ensure that things get back on track as soon as possible.
Endurance of proper guidelines is a must to accomplish any task. Even the easiest mission becomes unsuccessful if a good plan is not designed to perform it.
Being a leader, you must set goals and objectives considering the end-result, which means you must always begin with the end in mind. By doing this, you can make the team clear about the target, and it will also keep you focused on the results. A leader, who is a long-term goal setter, acts as an idol for the team, and the members of the team understand the intentions behind every move taken by the leader.
Step #5 : Become Part of The Equation
How can an individual lead with purpose if he has no confidence in himself or what he is trying to get across to the employees. Having courage in your own convictions is one of the simplest ways in order to help you lead with purpose.
Purposeful organizations need leaders who know themselves first; have the inner compass that points them in the right direction.
It is only people who have confidence and have had the strength to dream that will be able to make it big in life and lead their companies to greater heights. However confidence and self assurance does most, but over confidence for a person who has unrealistic goals will not be able to go very far. As a leader, have you ever considered the question, “why do I want to be a leader?” This is your leadership intent. If you know the answer, consider how well you honor that intent. Starting with your own leadership purpose will help you lead others with purpose.
What is your internal locus of control? Your trigger points? Your inspiration? Your truth? What moves you?
If your big why is not inspired or valued in this workplace, do you think you’re ever going to reach fulfillment or happiness here? No! This isn’t your bus! Time to find another bus or mode of travel that puts you in the driver’s seat. On the other hand if your big why rocks in this space, embrace it! Share it, value it and energize it. Make every move purposeful to achieve it. Believe it and action it.
🔈 Someone has said
Creating and working towards a powerful purpose is your highest responsibility as a leader.
When your life purpose aligns with your organization, amazing things will happen. Finding your life purpose will make you a stronger, more inspiring and engaging leader. You’ll keep your team focused, inspired and moving ahead. Being an exceptional leader isn’t just about getting people to do things. It’s about engaging your team’s spirit and passion. For your organization to thrive, you must not only determine your purpose but also help others on your team to find their purpose. Then, you can align everyone around a shared passion and spirit.
The more ingrained your purpose is, the more people will connect with it.
Just stating a purpose yields no financial return or improved performance. Hard work is a prison cell only if the work has no meaning. It’s only when the purpose is clear and present in everyday work life can it make a difference — even if this means postponing momentary happiness in favor of delayed results. People are most willing to give their hearts and energy to something they connect with at a deep, emotional level.
Wrapping Up
How well leaders use purpose to create the vision, mold the mission, and shape the values serve as a testament to their ability to bring people together for a common cause.
In today’s crowded marketplace, businesses that are purpose-driven are winning.
With a little discipline, any leader or organization can inspire others, both inside and outside their organization. We can all learn to lead. Be bold, be brave, be you. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you. If you start leading with purpose, you’ll soon see a change in everyone around you.
You already know that your company’s culture is manifested through effective leadership.
And phenomenal leadership embraces the business vision, values and goals. A leader ensures this is communicated and that the values align with their team members. In fact, the team is chosen from the values, passion, and strengths of the individual well above other competencies.
Things might seem a little challenging however with time and a little experience you will be able to handle everything in an efficient manner.
If a leader does not carry out his or her responsibilities out in a proper manner then it is the full company which will suffer. So ensure that at all costs, you try your best to take charge in a responsible manner and try your best to inspire your employees to work to the best of their abilities.
Success in leadership requires more than brains and strategy. To be a successful leader you need to lead with purpose and invest in yourself and your people.
I believe every day is a new opportunity to do better, be better, and make a difference with intention. We each have an extraordinary opportunity to make a positive difference in peoples’ lives (including our own). Don’t underestimate your impact! I’m up for the challenge! Are you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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