5 Powerful Insights to Help Leaders Align to their Purpose

The number one topic that arises when I am coaching or conducting clarity sessions with leaders is purpose.?No matter how accomplished or successful the leader is.??

It is no surprise based on how popular the "find-your-purpose" quest has become. On Google when you search "purpose" you get approx.?4,010,000,000 results. Billionaires?spout its magic, like Elon Musk who said "Passion and purpose scale. Always have, always will"; or the?purpose driven or non-for profit organizations that have sprouted like Patagonia, or the World Economic Forum.??

The purpose quest usually arises off the backdrop of an unfulfilling job, feeling lost, dealing with a difficult boss, a toxic work?culture,?an existential or health crisis or a relationship breakdown.??

It is a natural progression of thought because challenges are crucibles for development & growth. Rhetorical questions are asked - "Is this?even worth it..?", "What is the point of it all..?", "Where is all of this leading...?"?

Hence, the purpose topic makes an appearance.?

Interestingly, when we start to explore their purpose most leaders are confused or unsure. Even though most clients have completed values, passions & life vision exercises. Most are well informed too, having read popular books on purpose and existentialism.?

So why is there so much confusion and uncertainty? Because most leaders hold?odd concepts, beliefs and judgements about what purpose is. Often the concept has been defined quite narrowly, squeezed through the needle hole of logic which stops them from seeing their purpose with clarity.?During my?conversations I offer different perspectives to stoke the fires of reflection and to push them along their path of purpose.?

Here?5 powerful insights, that have helped leaders find their purpose.??

1. Purpose Is A Journey, Not One Thing You Do For Life?

Your purpose is not one thing you do for the rest of your life.??

It is a journey and emergent process where you grow into the best version of yourself – your?brightest potential. As you evolve, overcome challenges, go through transitions and milestones – so too will your purpose.??

The more you evolve, the more skills, insight & wisdom you possess. Not only does that mean more clarity about your purpose but it?enables you?to?spot opportunities and?make powerful decisions.?

Think?of?these influential leaders:?Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins, Sadguru?& Elon Musk,?whose purpose journeys started off small?and insignificant like a tiny acorn, but over the years?their purpose?grew into a?mighty oak tree.?

So, if you have an urge, an idea, a reoccurring message, a whisper to do something different – no matter how, odd follow it. That’s your purpose calling to you. The rest will surface along the journey.??

2. To Live Your Purpose, You Have to Unpack Your Junk

Your baggage?is any fear-based beliefs, emotional pain and conditioning that blocks your potential and?your?ability to succeed.??These blocks also sabotage?your ability to align with your purpose successfully.??

A senior male leader I coached had conquered his goals in terms of status, money and credibility.?Feeling the humdrum of his career, he was?yearning for fulfilment. He was looking into starting his own business, one he was passionate about. He had ideas, concepts, plans – but it was swirling around in his mind like a fish in a bowl. Unable to find clarity, he was blocked with?junk.??

How? He was not ready to take a financial risk, especially since he grew up poor. Certainty of money?represented power and safety to him. He had to unpack this junk before?the path became clear.?

The tricky thing about blocks is?that most leaders are not conscious of them, yet we all have them. In the business world its considered taboo to focus on 'personal matters', instead you are encouraged to put your professional mask on. That rarely works.??

You have to continually transform into your deepest potential to align to your purpose. That means digging deep and unpacking your junk. No matter how uncomfortable.?

3. Purpose Is Not About Meeting Your Safety, Financial or Emotional needs?

Many leaders pursue goals that have been installed into them by others because it means success, power, status and money. For some it's a means of survival and of feeling worthy.??

However when you transcend?your safety, financial & emotional needs your deeper purpose starts to surface.?What Humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow called moving into the transcendent self, it is here you will find that?your?purpose will serve the greater good.?There will be a distinct need, service or product feel compelled to create that?that will make a difference.???

The journey to your deeper purpose is not a goal driven, ego-boosting process. The more you?align to your authentic self,?unpack your junk and find your?natural joy, your deeper purpose will surface.?A simple example, I was coaching?a young leader who advised that his life purpose was to become a property mongrel.??

When I asked, "What inspired this mission"????

He said, 'I read a book on investing and want to be rich'.???

I explored,?"Is property investing something you can commit to for the next 20 years, because you are deeply passionate about it?".?

"Absolutely not", he replied.??

But when I asked him a hypothetical, "Assuming you are rich, if money wasn’t a concern what would you do"???

He lit up like fire, "I want to help people who are challenged in life. I've always been interested in psychology & helping people."?

Together we found that becoming a property mongrel was tied to supporting his parents who struggled financially.??Instead of abandoning one over the other, he choose to pursue both. He was very clear that investing in property was for financial security and the start of his purpose journey was completing a degree in counselling.

4. Discovering Your Purpose Is Not A Logical, Linear Or Planned Process?

A common phrases I hear is "I don’t know what my purpose is...".??

Behind that statement, is a logical mind trying to find clarity and certainty through thinking. This is especially true for many leaders who have a corporate background, where left brain thinking is dominant – sequential, orderly, process driven, analytics, facts & logic.?

As a species we are?hardwired for familiarity and certainty – because it means?self-preservation. Left brain thinking, provides a false sense of safety. If we do not know something in clear and logical terms – you will hear "I don’t know what my purpose is".?

The challenge with finding & living your purpose, it won't come to you in a linear & logical thought form. It requires right brain thinking: intuition, creativity & exploration.?Because?your purpose comes from inside of you. From your?inner genius, your?innate intelligence.?

But that inner voice is often hard to listen to because we are conditioned from an early age to follow the advice of others and the well-trodden, safe path of success.?Rather your inner genius?speaks to you in whispers, urges, ideas & inspiration.??Because of this, you have to?be open to receiving messages about our purpose in a variety of ways. Otherwise, you discount important guidance & ideas because they are not logical or factual enough.??

That is super challenging because the path of purpose has a lot of uncertainty,?and at times some bat sh*t crazy ideas.??

Know, there is no A to Z plan, with a strategic vision. Don’t expect a bright neon sign to fall from the sky saying 'do this'. Realize that no expert or guru can tell you your innate purpose. Did Greta Thunberg ever think that protesting outside of parliament with a handmade sign "strike for climate change" would spark a global movement? No. She had an inspired idea, and followed it.??

As Albert Einstein said, "Intuition, not intellect is the "open sesame" of yourself".????

5. You Have To Deal With Your Challenges First?

If you are going through a tough situation – deal with that first. If you are unstable, stressed or triggered your judgement will be clouded.?Which makes it hard to follow your innate intelligence & to align to your purpose.??

Don’t get lured into thinking that finding your purpose will make everything better – it won't long term.

Know that overcoming your challenges?is a part of your purpose. Challenges act as vessel for growth, giving you wisdom of experience & foresight.?Challenges ask us to adapt, to try novel ways, to dig deep and become better versions of ourselves.?

When the dust settles, you will find that you have more clarity & insight into your?purpose.?

If you feel you are yet to?align with your path of purpose – take heart.?Being in a place of not knowing your purpose?is a time of possibility, where the unbelievable can emerge. Detours?& lessons learnt will bear fruit later on down the track.?Start with step one and see what unfolds from there?

Looking for more? Check out the top five blocks that stop you from living your purpose at www. Paulatufa.com?