7 areas of clarity purpose driven leaders need
Clarity. It’s one of the most important things you need if you want to be an effective leader. It’s also one of the biggest benefits that comes from working with a coach! When I first start talking about clarity with the leaders I work with, the concept can seem (quite paradoxically) kind of vague. Clarity about what, exactly?
As a leader, clarity comes in two forms: clarity about yourself and clarity about what and who you’re leading.
Let’s start with 5 areas of clarity about yourself as a leader:
Values: Defining our personal values helps us make decisions that are more likely to lead to fulfillment, understand the underlying “why” when we’re struggling or resisting something, and gain insight when we’re in conflict with others. I recently worked with a leader for whom “dependability” was a core value. While you can see how this value helped propel her to professional success, it also had a shadow side – when taken to its extreme, “dependability” can lead to burnout. Knowing your values and what happens when they are held too tightly can help you set clear boundaries up front and ensure you can lead sustainably.
Strengths: Knowing our strengths helps us develop our purpose and live a better life. For example, research shows that people who know and use their CliftonStrengths are more engaged at work, more productive in their roles, and both happier and healthier! Why is this so? One reason is that consistently using our strengths makes it more likely that we achieve a “flow” state. Flow, according to Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, the psychologist who discovered it, is “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter.” If we know our strengths and are intentional about using them as much as reasonably possible, we can set ourselves up to achieve that magical state of flow.
Purpose: Our purpose is a clear statement of “why we exist.” It doesn’t have to be monumental – it can be as simple as “to be a positive force that always leaves people feeling better after my interactions with them.” Purpose gives us meaning. Let’s take this example purpose out for a spin. If this is my purpose, I might start every day by looking at a written reminder of my purpose and using it to help me show up as my best self throughout the day. I make sure that whatever work I choose allows me to live out this purpose, and in times when things get tough, I remember that I can always do something to make others feel better after my interactions with them, meaning that I can get an instant boost of “meaning” when I need it.
Vision: Our vision is a clear picture of what the world would look like if we were to live fully into our purpose. It should get us excited and energized! It becomes a clear filter for decisions big and small: “Does this get me closer to my vision or further away?” Now, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your vision is easily attainable in your lifetime. Sometimes a vision is HUGE! Many social entrepreneurs have visions that may seem impossible at times. Think of your vision as your big-picture dream or goal. One person may have a vision to make the entire world a better place by solving world hunger, while for another it is to make their corner of the world a better place by making sure kids in their local community never go hungry. Both are amazing visions, both should be celebrated, and both are very needed in our world.
Mission: Our mission is the professional application of our purpose – it helps us understand our current “job” in relationship to our overall purpose and mission in life. If my purpose is “to be a positive force that always leaves people feeling better after my interactions with them,” I can do that through many different professions, working for any number of different companies. Giving your current line of work context by tying it to your purpose and vision can help give meaning to your daily work. And if you absolutely can’t think of how your job is connected to your purpose and vision, it may be an indicator that you could find a position that is more in alignment with who you are at your core.
Next we need clarity about what and who we are leading.
The “why” and/or culture compass: All the above areas of clarity are also critical to know about your business or the movement you’re working within. When I’m working with business owners, I often refer to these things collectively as the “culture compass.” Going through a thoughtful process to define a company’s values, purpose, vision, and mission gives firm owners and leaders clarity of direction when it comes to making strategic plans, decisions about the team, and tackling tough operating choices. Having clarity in these areas helps keep you and your team grounded, motivated, and energized. Before we can start building an action plan to get you to where you want to go, we need to know where you’re headed. Before we can tackle challenges, we need to understand what’s core to your company’s reason for existing and beliefs around what’s most important.
Our collaborators: To be an effective leader, you not only need to know what’s important to you and the company or movement, but also what’s important to the people you’re working with. This could be our business partners, our team, our clients, our strategic partners, and our communities. When we know what is important to someone, we can make sure to tailor our message in a way that aligns with what matters to them and will inspire them to take action and support our cause. If you have an underperforming employee, taking the time to understand them can sometimes mean the difference between turning them into a star employee and having to let them go.
Clarity is not just a luxury for purpose driven leaders—it's a necessity. Whether you're trying to decide on what is next for you professionally, starting a new business, setting goals, communicating with your team, or making strategic decisions, clarity around what’s important to you, the “why” behind your company, and who you are working with provide the foundation for sustainable growth and executing at the levels needed to achieve meaningful results.