What’s YOUR Purpose & What Kind of Leader has it Made You?

What drives you? What’s your passion? Are you bringing that enthusiasm into how you lead? Leadership can be given, but good leaders must actually EARN their place. You become a leader because you're someone people want to follow.  You’ve earned their trust, and have the character and integrity to motivate.

You're a leader, now it’s time to define your purpose. Why are you there? Did you start your business to fill a need? Are you leading an organization so you can make an impact for the greater good? Defining your purpose is the foundation of building your business. It should be central in all you do, and in all you aspire toward.

• What's driving you? Lay it out on the line. The more people who get a sense of what moves you, the more people will get behind and support your mission.
• Instill this purpose in EVERYTHING! Build your mission statement around your purpose. Products, services, activities should all circle around this purpose.
• Prioritize. If it doesn’t align with your purpose, step back and re-think your choices.

Organizations which have defined their purpose and are using this to lead their businesses, have a sense of compassion, kinship and responsibility among it’s members or employees. By ingraining your purpose in your mission & vision statements and in your every day way of doing business, you are fostering the necessary elements for your team to better engage and support your business and organizational goals.

Passion is a must! Leading without a sense of purpose or passion for what you are doing causes listlessness. Whether you are guiding a team of employees, a team of volunteers, or your kid’s baseball team - communicating your purpose with a sense of enthusiasm gets everyone on the same page.

Everyone is different. Weird, huh. As a good leader, it’s your job to bring the best out of those differences. Empowering and engaging your team, in a way that recognizes their individuality helps to guide them, and in turn you have a team who feels valued. More importantly, they will feel like they are contributing something of value to the business or organization. They will align with your purpose and start to build that same passion which drives you. Reinforcing your mission, vision, values, instills that sense of purpose among employees and your volunteers - essentially giving them a roadmap for being successful. They will become your champions, your advocates, and will further support your goals.  Overall, you will be able to capitalize on those who are supporting your passion.

Remember. Purpose is fueled by passion. Passion is fueled by a drive and a need to make an imprint, a difference. You will leave the business world or your community a different place, a better place, all because you had the initiative to press forward. Let your purpose lead!