Mission and purpose are buzzwords in both business and life. Many writers and speakers have expressed an imperative to discover your ‘purpose’ if you want to live meaningfully, but I think that purpose is much simpler than it is made out to be.
When I changed career I felt lost. I felt like I had nothing to offer. I thought my job contained my purpose. I couldn’t have been more wrong. My purpose does not define me. I define my purpose. My purpose is to live out my values in a way that is true to myself. My purpose is to be me, and in doing so to make a positive difference to the lives of others.
One of the privileges we have as leaders and managers is that the impact we have on others at work is amplified. The way we turn up not only makes a difference to our teams but through them on those with whom they interact. Just turning up at work, having made a conscious choice to make a positive difference in the lives of others, is to live with purpose.
What you do, the way you choose to speak and behave directly shapes the way the people around you experience life. As a leader, or manager, you are one of the most significant influences on how people experience the third of their lives they spend at work. Every day you are the difference between a good day and a bad day for other people around you. Every day you contribute, for better or worse, to the wellbeing and mental health of those around you. My challenge to you is to make a commitment to make a positive difference every day.