Thrive time. Unlocking leadership through Connection, Meaning and Growth. (Part II: Meaning and Growth)

In a world that’s constantly shifting and where complexity is rising by the day, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the demands of daily life and the pressures of career success. But “what if…”?

What if you could tap into something deeper—something that fuels not just what you do, but who you are? What if the key to flourishing in your personal and professional life isn’t about doing more, but being more: aligning your work, relationships, and growth with your true strengths, values and beliefs?

In this article, I build on Connection (previous newsletter) and explore the other two essential seeds for flourishing: meaning and growth. Connection, meaning and growth are the pillars that can transform your journey, helping you to thrive not just through accomplishments, but through the deeper fulfillment that comes from living with purpose and intention – while uplifting others, helping them finding their own voice. After all, the only path to true happiness is to help and serve others, and success is a bypass, something you attract by the person of value you become.

Read on to discover how to build a life that’s rooted in these principles—and unlock the potential that’s waiting for you and the people around you; because ultimately we are so much better together, and only through others we become.

2. Meaning: “Purpose” is about intention and impact

Meaning is the compass that guides us through our daily tasks, transforming each action from a mere responsibility into a purposeful step toward becoming a better version of ourselves. When we align our work and actions with what excites and fulfills us, we unlock a deeper sense of motivation and drive. This sense of purpose doesn't just fuel our individual journey; it helps us navigate through challenges, knowing that what we do has meaning beyond the immediate. As we look beyond our current roles, we begin to see ourselves in a larger context—one where our actions are connected to a broader vision. This vision not only drives our professional lives but also shapes the kind of person we aim to become. It’s the belief that our efforts are part of something bigger than ourselves that keeps us moving forward with conviction and energy. The belief that our efforts are part of something bigger than ourselves is a powerful driver of both growth mindset and leading with purpose. When we see our work as contributing to a larger mission, it shifts our focus from individual achievement to collective progress. This perspective fuels a growth mindset, where challenges are seen as opportunities to learn, adapt, and evolve. Instead of feeling discouraged by setbacks, we remain motivated, knowing that each step—no matter how small—is part of a bigger journey toward positive change. Leading with purpose amplifies this energy, as it aligns our efforts with a cause that transcends personal success. When we’re driven by a sense of purpose, we tap into a deeper reservoir of motivation and resilience. The energy we bring to our work isn’t just for personal gain; it’s about contributing to something meaningful, whether that’s improving lives, creating innovation, or driving a shared vision. The added benefit is that when we operate with clear intention and focus on the impact we want to create, we naturally attract others who share that same purpose. This shared sense of meaning unites us, forming stronger teams and building momentum. In turn, this collective energy enables us to achieve extraordinary outcomes. Every task becomes an opportunity to move closer to our goals, to contribute to a mission that matters, and to leave a legacy that we can be proud of. Meaning, then, becomes not just a personal motivator but a driving force for the collective good.

Concrete practices:

Discover your Purpose: “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.” What a powerful six words story. Similarly, the invitation is for you to shape your own six words purpose statement. The first three words represent what we will call “your actions”. These are things that you do, in service to others. The last three words represent “your impact”. That is, the positive impact that your actions have on others. When you work on your six-word personal purpose story, it’s important that the individual words you use are sourced from your past. This is because we want these words to reflect who you really are and have always been, rather than who you wish you could be, or how you want others to perceive you. So, first think about stories from your past, and identify from those stories actions you consistently took in service to others. Next, think about the positive impact that those actions had on others. Also, important… This is not a “work” Purpose. This is you as a person, and you are the same human whether you are at home, at work, in your leadership role, or with your friends and family. You might act differently in each different setting, but you are the same person. And, for most people, personal purpose was largely established by the time you were in your early 20s. So you might think back to your younger years and look for themes that may have begun then and carried through your adulthood. Mine, for instance, is “bringing energy and curiosity to foster connections and growth”.

Purposeful goal-setting: purposeful goal-setting ensures your goals reflect both your personal values and professional ambitions while pushing you to grow in ways that contribute to a greater purpose. This approach encourages you to look beyond short-term results and focus on meaningful, lasting impact, bridging the gap between "who you are" and "what you do. Reflect on your Purpose: start by identifying your core values or your six-word purpose statement (if you've completed that exercise). For example, "Inspiring creativity to empower transformation." Set dual-focus goals: craft goals that align with your personal and professional growth. These goals should push you out of your comfort zone while being meaningful to others. Identify the greater purpose: ask yourself: “How does achieving this goal benefit others or contribute to a larger cause?” This helps anchor your goals in purpose.

For instance, based on my purpose of “bringing energy and curiosity to foster connections and growth”, I am planning to organise and facilitate a leadership development workshop for emerging leaders by the end of Q2. This workshop will create an safe space where participants can explore and share key leadership challenges, share diverse perspectives, and develop actionable strategies to lead with impact. Through interactive discussions and activities, it will encourage curiosity-driven learning while building strong peer connections, helping these leaders grow both individually and as part of a larger network of future changemakers.

Practice radical reflection: the prompt for this practice is: “What’s one moment from this week when I felt truly alive, and what does it reveal about my values?” What I love about this practice is that it builds self-awareness and helps integrating purpose into daily actions, reinforcing alignment between who we are and what we do. It consists of three steps:

o??? Revisit moments of aliveness: at the end of each week, set aside 10 minutes to reflect on a moment that made you feel energised, engaged, or proud. This could be as simple as a meaningful conversation, solving a tough challenge, or helping someone in need.

o??? Identify the underlying values: write down why this moment mattered to you. What deeper value or belief does it connect to? Examples could include curiosity, kindness, or excellence.

o??? Act on your reflections: use this insight to align your future choices. For example, if collaboration energizes you, make a conscious effort to foster more collaborative opportunities in your week.

Self- reflection questions:

• What is my six-word purpose statement, and how is it shaping my actions at work?
• How often do I reflect on the impact my work has on others and the larger organization?
• Am I pursuing tasks that align with my values, or am I chasing short-term outcomes?
• What drives me to get up in the morning, and how do I stay connected to that purpose?
• What specific moments have made me feel that my work or actions truly matter?
• How do I align my daily tasks with my long-term vision for impact?
• What does success mean to me beyond material or career achievements?
• How do I measure the impact I have on others or my environment?
• How do I stay motivated when the connection between my work and purpose feels unclear?
• What personal strengths or values do I want to amplify in my current role or life?
• What legacy do I want to leave, and how am I building toward it?
• How do I balance pursuing meaning with fulfilling immediate responsibilities?
• How often do I revisit and redefine my sense of purpose?

Go-To Resources:

• "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek for understanding the importance of purpose, and I love this podcast episode with Brené Brown.
• "Drive" by Daniel Pink for aligning motivation with meaningful work.
• "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl..

3. Growth: continuous learning, fostering a sense of belonging, and moving from leadership to “teamship”

Growth is a continuous journey, not a destination. Our best is always yet to come. Growth is the willingness to stretch beyond our current limits and embrace challenges that push us toward new horizons, towards the better version of ourselves. Every obstacle becomes a lesson, every setback an opportunity to learn. When we adopt a growth mindset (the power of ′not yet′), we open ourselves to new possibilities, seeing failure not as a defeat but as a stepping stone to greater understanding. This mindset is key to personal development—it’s about understanding that our abilities are not fixed but can be cultivated through dedication, effort, and perseverance. Growth requires us to stay curious, to approach challenges with an open mind, and to be adaptable in the face of change.

But growth isn’t just about individual advancement; it’s about building through others. As we learn and develop, we also have the responsibility to uplift those around us. Creating environments where people feel seen, heard, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives is essential for collective success. The more we embrace diversity and inclusion, the more we open the door to innovation and new ways of thinking. When we bring together people with different experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints, when we allow everyone to take a seat at the table and share their brilliance, we create a rich tapestry of ideas that strengthens the whole team.

Growth, therefore, is not just about personal achievement; it’s about nurturing an ecosystem where everyone has the opportunity to flourish. It’s about continuous learning, creating space for others to thrive to the best of their abilities, and embracing the belief that the best way to grow is by helping others do the same. And it is about harnessing the collective wisdom, energy, and capability of our teams through both behavioral transformation and modern collaborative tools. The era of the lone leader is over. The future belongs to those who never lead alone; the future is about co-elevation and teamship! (insightful article and new book from Keith Ferrazzi, more in the resources)

Concrete Practice:

• Continuous learning: two practices I would like to share on this front! Organise peer learning circles, where small groups of peers come together regularly to discuss specific challenges, share experiences, and co-create solutions. These circles encourage collaborative learning and create a safe environment for vulnerability and exploration commit to learning something new each month, whether through a course, reading, or skill-building activity. This can be a professional skill, a personal development area, or something we are all struggling with (e.g., embracing AI – we have “brAIn sharing” sessions for instance monthly within the Swedish EY Talent team). And why not learning together? After all, only through others we become, and communities of practice are much more fun and effective in getting results! As a leader, enabling people to take ownership requires setting clear expectations for the why and the what while empowering them to figure out the how. This builds accountability and a stronger sense of belonging. Try allowing people to fail gloriously, more often. Failure is a natural part of this process, and it’s okay—if lessons are learned, and the team moves forward stronger creating space for failure is essential because it builds ownership: when team members know they can take risks without fear of punishment, they take greater responsibility for their work and outcomes. It also encourages experimentation and innovation: failure often sparks the creativity needed for breakthrough ideas and solutions. And finally, it develops resilience: learning through setbacks helps individuals develop the grit to navigate future challenges.
• Foster inclusivity and a sense of belonging: Embrace diversity and inclusion by building teams with varied perspectives. Create space for all voices to be heard and ensure everyone is empowered to contribute. Here′s three practical ways of doing so: Co-Creation: move most meetings toward collaborative problem-solving. Make heavy use of small groups (3-5), or video breakout rooms, because people are conflict-averse and won't share openly in a big room. Commit at least 50 percent of your time to collaborative problem-solving. Empathy: avoid diving into meetings transactionally. Start with a conversation that gets people relaxed and empathetic to one another, going deeper than that superficial small talk you'd normally make in the hallway. Have everyone do a "personal-professional check-in" or "sweet-and-sour," to share something they are struggling with. Accountability: rotate team members but get everyone to share their plans or reports in a meeting; you can do it in plenary, or break them up into small groups to "bulletproof" one another's work by doing a 5/5/5 exercise: 5′to share your projects or challenges; 5′for people to ask questions to clarify their thinking; 5′ for team members to point out one risk that the individual might guard against, one innovative idea to consider, and one act of generosity that the group could offer by way of help. If you make space for people to be of service to one another, you get increased sense of belonging, more risk-taking and more crazy ideas that lead to ultimately better outcomes.
• Feedback loop for growth: Foster a feedforward-rich environment. Regularly ask for and give feedback to enhance personal growth and help others shine. The SBI/BI model is a framework used to give clear, constructive feedback, focusing on specific behaviors and their impact. SBI stands for Situation-Behavior-Impact: it encourages providing feedback by describing the situation in which the behavior occurred, explaining the observed behavior itself, and sharing the impact that behavior had. The second part “BI” (alternative Behavior-Impact) is for you to offer a way forward. What I love about this model is that it takes subjectivity out of the equation, and really helps individuals communicate feedback in a clear, objective way, minimizing personal judgments and fostering a constructive conversation that promotes growth and improvement.

Self- reflection questions:

• When was the last time I stepped out of my comfort zone to learn something new?
• How am I encouraging and enabling my team to grow together?
• Do I view challenges as opportunities to innovate and grow, or do I avoid them?
• How do I respond to setbacks, and what do I learn from them?
• What skills or knowledge do I want to develop in the next six months, and why?
• What recent challenge stretched me the most, and how did I grow from it?
• How do I create opportunities to step outside my comfort zone?
• What feedback have I received about my growth, and how have I acted on it?
• How do I balance my focus on personal growth with supporting the growth of others?
• What habits or practices are helping me grow, and which ones are holding me back?
• How do I ensure my growth aligns with my deeper values and goals?
• What does long-term success look like for me, and how am I working toward it?
• How do I celebrate progress, even when it feels incremental?

Go-To Resources:

• "Mindset: the new psychology of success" by Carol Dweck for embracing challenges and developing a growth mindset.
• "Never lead alone" by Keith Ferrazzi (soon to be released).
• “Finding Mastery” podcast with Dr Michael Gervais is my absolute favourite go-to resource for personal and professional growth.

Closing thoughts:

The three seeds of “meaning, connection, and growth” are not just abstract concepts; they are practices we can weave into our daily lives to flourish and shape our future with confidence. By intentionally cultivating these seeds, we grow not only as individuals but as communities and organisations. Let’s continue to learn, collaborate, and create a world where each of us thrives and makes an impact that matters. By focusing on connection, meaning, and growth, we can create a life that is not only successful but also deeply fulfilling - not only our own future but the future of those we touch. In fact, the path to a flourishing life isn’t defined by the “hustle” to keep up with the next trend, the fear of missing out, the fear of other people opinions or all the other external accolades. It’s about creating a life that feels purposeful, connected, and open to growth—where each step we take aligns with our deepest values and intentions. By nurturing the seeds of connection, meaning, and growth, we lay the groundwork for a future that mirrors our highest aspirations—both as individuals and as a collective. The journey ahead is ours to shape, filled with endless opportunities to learn, evolve, and contribute to a larger purpose. As we embrace these principles, we begin to realise that success is not a fixed destination, but a continuous, transformative process—one that propels us closer to the better versions of ourselves. And while doing so, we uplift others along the way, contributing to a more inclusive, compassionate, and impactful working world. Together, we create a space where everyone can grow, and where the success of the group is shaped by each person’s unique contribution. When we support and lift each other up (when “co-elevate”), we build something meaningful—a place where we can all find purpose and fulfillment. It's about showing up for one another and working together toward a vision that matters to all of us. Because in the end, true success is what we create together.