Why Purpose Matters: The 7 Powers of Purpose
A leader without purpose is lost in a world of opportunity.
The 7 powers of purpose:
- Grit. A leader with purpose has reason to fight through adversity. “If we possess our why of life we can put up with almost any how.” Nietzsche
- Effective choices. Any choice will do when you don’t have purpose.
- Boundaries. Say yes to purpose so you can say no to distraction.
- Meaning. Purpose identifies contribution. Contribution defines meaning.
- Evaluation. Perhaps our discomfort with purpose is it creates a standard for self-evaluation.
- Fulfillment. A person without purpose replaces meaningful action with trivial pleasure.
- Belonging. Purpose justifies your place at the table.
#1. Purpose looks forward.
History helps define purpose, but meaningful contribution concerns the present and future.
You disregard the future when the past dominates your thinking.
Challenge: Monitor the trajectory of your language, decisions, and actions. How forward-looking is your approach?
- How much time do you spend complaining?
- How frequently do you pine for the good ole days?
- How much of your day is spent seizing opportunity?
- How might the future be different based on your current decisions and actions?
#2. Purpose looks outward.
Focusing outward expands life. Focusing inward congeals it.
Self-kindness is one component of meaningful living. But there’s more.
“Other-focused acts might boost “eudaimonic” well-being, the kind that comes from a sense of purpose and meaning.” Berkeley
On the other hand, “… heightened levels of self-focused attention are common in depression…” PT
One purpose of self-reflection is multiplied contribution. Look inward so you can more effectively serve outward.
One purpose of self-reflection is multiplied contribution. Look inward so you can more effectively serve outward.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy—but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you lived at all.” Leo Rosten
How might clear purpose enhance leadership?
How might leaders clarify their purpose?
Bonus material: Here’s a snippet of my conversation with Robert Rosenberg. CEO of Dunkin Donuts from 1963 to 1998.
Frankl, again:
Purpose, like happiness and self-actualization, ENSUES; it cannot be PURSUED.
Freedom is not doing what you want, but wanting what is demanded.
Only by looking forward can we be …
(productive, useful, meaningful, mindful).
Thanks Rurbane. I’m glad you refer to Frankl. His three lectures that were just publishes are amazing. “Yes to Life“
Clarity of purpose (what I call personal calling) allows a person to find peace and make a contribution through all of the seasons of life, and no matter the role (or assignment) of the moment. Clear purpose applies equally to family, vocation, and self-care.
Thanks Ken. The word “calling” feels important to me. Think of purpose as calling. You remind of the term “vocation” which has a sense of divine call in it.
Yes, Dan! For me, as a Christian, “calling” and “vocation” have a divine dimension to them. They help anchor me because I understand them as the reason God has me here. I do think that “purpose” can work the same way for someone who is not a person of faith.
Well said, Ken. Calling is a point of stability for anyone who feels it.
How much of your day is spent seizing opportunity? That’s what I focus on, what opportunities are available, how can I seize them, what activities can I work on that allow me to seize future opportunities. How can others not work that way is the question I am always asking?
Powerful questions Roger. I find it very easy to neglect opportunity and focus on just getting stuff done. The difference is profound. Yes, we have to get stuff done. but sometime the stuff we do isn’t really seizing opportunity. It’s just preserving the status quo.
Clear purpose enhances leadership because everybody else knows what you are trying to achieve.
Just remember not everybody working with you / for you has the same goal. You’re trying to create the ultimate widget, but some of your people are just there to keep a roof over their heads.
Clarity of purpose is difficult. Widget making isn’t generally an end in itself, but then again, making money is usually not considered to be a “proper” reason. It can be difficult to identify, harder to articulate and even more challenging to sell to others.
Thanks Mitch. I spend a good part of my younger years putting food on the table. All the urgencies of life didn’t give me much time to reflect. Perhaps I could have learned the art of self-reflection, but I didn’t take time to do it. As you might expect, I burned out and just went through the motions.
I think purpose can help even when we’re just earning a paycheck. In the end, it’s not the money. The purpose is providing for family. Family is a bigger purpose then earning money. But they’re connected.
A clear “PURPOSE” give a leader–focus, energy, enthusiasm, and passion to achieve his or her goals. A clear purpose also give you criteria to help you decide what not to do or pursue. As you stated Dan, it gives you boundaries.
How might leaders clarify their purpose?
Write it down. Post it on your office wall. Read it twice a day.
Fine-tune it over time.
Here is my purpose or mission.
Mission—to help people increase their effectiveness and efficiency as managers and leaders.
Thanks Paul. Using a mission statement as a daily touchstone makes sense to me. It’s just so easy to get lost in busyness.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy—but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you lived at all.” Leo Rosten
I have struggled with this a lot in my current job. I want to know that my work and my skills make a difference, when leaders ignore you, are passive to you, and you feel like your work doesn’t matter to them, that’s when you leave.
This is a scary time to wonder whether or not your employer finds value in your work.
Thanks Stacy. I must say that it’s tragic when people don’t know if their work matters. How difficult is it to say a word or two to someone. A small word of encouragement or direction makes a huge difference.
Purpose holds a greater significance in our life. Without it, you can not go ahead. I was wandering finding the purpose of my life. Then I come across this post. And this awesome article gives me a clear vision of The Point of Living Thanks for sharing!
Dan, can you help me understand “Purpose identifies contribution. Contribution defines meaning”?
I really like this, but I’m not sure I totally understand it.
Is it: Purpose shows us what we are contributing. Contributing to something gives us meaning. ?
Thanks!