Leaders can lead with a clear purpose. What comes to mind when considering the most critical decisions you make as a leader? I often have said the goal of a leader is to be easy on people and ruthless on business challenges. Some of the most critical choices we can make are how we exercise our power and whom we pull into our inner circle. Consider these five things in your leadership approach to help you have a clear purpose for your small business.
Leaders Can Lead With A Clear Purpose Here are Five Ways:
1. Know your purpose as a leader
The classical model of a leader as some kind of superhero who has all the answers and can do magic within an organization is outdated. A leader who is driven by money, success, and fame doesn’t work anymore. A leadership approach that puts people and purpose first is required in today’s world. When you lead with purpose, you must first understand your own motivation. You can connect with what gets you up in the morning and why you do it. It empowers those around you with conviction, drive, and direction.
2. Have clarity in your leadership role
Your role is to create an environment where people are inspired and can be their best. When circumstances are challenging, it can be up to you to produce energy, momentum and help others see their real possibilities and potential.
Our ability to lead with a clear purpose is tested when serious challenges occur. Will you stay calm and lead with a sense of control, positivity, and clear purpose? How you respond to those challenges can set the tone for the entire organization. If the way you lead inspires others to be more, rise to greater levels of performance, and be ruthless on challenges, you are a great leader.
3. Know whom you serve
Become clear about who you are serving and about your motivations. Your self-awareness keeps you from the traps of power, money, and fame. When I talk with some of the leaders I coach, they have often been caught in these temptations, leaving them feeling lost in their careers and lacking purpose. Serving others is often how great leaders reach the top. You help the people around you by understanding their needs and supporting them.
4. Live by your values
When facing the most significant challenges, we have our values to keep us centered. When you’ve chosen the right people for your inner circle, you have people you can trust and whose values align with yours. As a great leader, it’s up to you to promote the essential values and make sure they become the backbone of the business.
5. Practice authenticity
Be who you are, your authentic self. That requires us to be vulnerable so we can be our best. Being connected socially is at the core of our vulnerability. Your team hopes you will be human and understand who they are so they can be heard, connected, and understood. That means you have to be vulnerable too.
How can you apply these five ways and lead with a clear purpose?
Ask yourself whether you are leading with purpose in your small business. If not, can we make purpose and people the heart of our leadership strategy? Leading with purpose begins with us, and that might require that we change. Being clear about what motivates us, who we want to be, and how we want to show up in the world. The people I coach find they can quickly implement change in their lives with help. They end up being the great leaders they want to be and have the success they deserve.
Want to fine-tune your leadership check out our blog on “The Top 5 Successful Leadership Traits“. Also check out the interesting book “On Purpose Leadership: Master the Art of Leading Yourself to Inspire and Impact Others“