Let’s talk about leadership purpose.
Regardless of where we are in our careers or personal lives, as leaders, it’s important that we periodically stop whatever it is that we happen to be doing and ask ourselves, “Why am I here? What is my purpose? What do I want to achieve?”
Defining your answer to these questions is critical because it enables you to narrow your focus so that you can set and define goals and improve your performance. When leaders have a purpose, they have a clear vision of where they want to be and what they want to achieve. They then build upon their vision to define the steps that they need to take to achieve their ultimate goal.
Defining your Leadership Purpose.
Defining and knowing your leadership purpose is also the key to getting others to support you and work with you. When we lack purpose, our focus and cause drift, and we are unable to inspire and motivate others. Once we have defined our purpose, we are able to empower both ourselves and others.
If you’ve not been seeing the level of performance that you wish to achieve, it’s likely that you’ve not taken the time to sit down and really think about what it is that you want, and the steps that you need to take to achieve it.
Bring Your Vision into Focus with a Purpose Statement
A purpose statement can help you bring clarity to what it is that you want and hope to achieve. To be meaningful, your purpose statement should consist of three parts: your vision of where you want to go, your statement of what it is that you do, and strategies to help you achieve your vision.
It’s important for leaders to be honest with themselves, and others, as they think about what it is that they truly want and what it will genuinely take in order to succeed. As the vision, mission, and action steps are defined, it is important for leaders to remember personal values such as trust, character, and genuine integrity.
For many of us, creating our purpose statement involves a great deal of personal reflection and introspection. Many leaders find it helpful to consult with their peers and other colleagues as they think about what it is that they really want to achieve. As well as the steps that they need to take in order to fulfill their mission and make their vision a success. Set benchmarks to help you measure your progress towards fulfilling your goals, and periodically review your original purpose to ensure that this is still something you truly wish to achieve.
Following Up by Taking Action and Achieving Greater Success by Being Open to Change
While creating a purpose statement can help you to define your mission and goals, it means little if you fail to follow up. Once you have defined your purpose, it is time to take action on the strategies that you developed during the creation of your purpose statement.
As you take action, monitor your progress and performance, and don’t be afraid to revise and revamp strategies that clearly are not working. While no one likes to feel as though they have given up on their goals or failed in a mission, sometimes what we want out of life, and our business, changes. We need, to be honest with ourselves and others, and be open to changing our goals if and when this occurs.
Many times the original conditions that existed when we created our purpose statement change. This is especially true when external factors beyond our control change. Life means change, things happen, but we often achieve our greatest performance and level of success by adopting a flexible attitude that allows us to quickly respond to these changes by adapting and revising our original strategies.
A purpose statement is a helpful tool in helping you define your leadership purpose, but knowing your purpose is only the beginning. Your plans must be followed up with action, and adaptation, if you truly want to achieve your vision and be successful.
