I am on a “Clarity Kick” these
days. I have become convinced that the primary reason why organizations,
businesses, universities, communities, etc. struggle is due to lack of clarity
on purpose and intention. I also believe the reason individuals struggle is due
to lack of clarity in their own lives in terms of their life mission, purpose,
and aspiration. This has got me thinking out loud about how we, as individuals,
can get clear on why we are here and what we are intended to do!
Obviously, it is my belief
that the reason we are walking around on the planet is for a specific reason.
As humans, we were designed for a specific role and purpose. When we stray from
that purpose, we experience confusion and misalignment with the universe
(pretty dramatic, huh?). Seriously, when we struggle to become what we think we should be as opposed to what we
were meant to be, we as leaders and
individuals lack focus and fulfillment. We waste time pursuing roles and things
that we think will make us happy only to learn that is not the case.
When viewed from the
leadership lens, this lack of focus and clarity not only impacts us personally,
but those we lead corporately. There is nothing more frustrating than to follow
someone who is inconsistent in their beliefs, decision making, values, and
intentions. When we do not have clarity, we are susceptible to the “cause or
priority of the month club”! Instead of being clear on what our intentions are,
we just bandwagon on every new topic and pop culture trend. Granted, some new
issues do deserve our attention but when doing so, we need to make sure they
align with our consistent and clear values and purpose.
So how can we gain more
clarity on what we are here to do? I suggest creating three short sentences
that answer the following questions:
What
are you best at?
This captures your strengths.
Leadership experts constantly remind us that we should work to our strengths
versus our weaknesses. Your strengths are your areas of giftedness and trust
me, you have been given many gifts and talents. If you are not sure what those
are, focus on what you like to do and have had the most success doing. Ask
colleagues to share with you what they see as your greatest gifts. I bet they
will tell you things that you never expected.
What
do you value?
This captures who and what
you are on a foundational level. Sincerely ask yourself what is that you truly
value in life, your work, your relationships, etc. It is impossible to live
into your purpose in life if the way
you are living your life is contrary
to what you truly believe is important. Break free of what the trap of caring
what the people around you think you should value, you do you in terms of what
you really care about.
What
do you want to be known for?
Finally, this question
provides clarity on your aspirations. It does not speak to fame or notoriety;
however, it speaks to what you want others to say, think, or believe about you.
In other words, if your life was made into a movie, what do you want it to portray
about you? How would it capture how you treat others? What personal accomplishments
would it document?
I have been thinking a lot
about these questions and here where is landed. In short, I was placed on this
planet to:
- Solve worthy problems.
- Learn to teach valuable lessons.
- Insure the success of others.
Listen, I know such reflection
is not part of our daily routine and there is no Siri or Alexa App that will do
this for you (yet!). All I can say is that when you focus on what you ARE
versus what you DO, it changes your entire perspective. It makes your work more
meaningful. It makes your conversations richer. It makes your relationships
more intentional. If helps your life make sense!
You were designed to make an impact
in this world and you were created to make things better. I encourage you to
capture personal clarity in 3 sentences. I would love to hear from you in terms
of where this reflection leads you. Please send me a short email at bill@outloudinc.com
and let me know how this goes. Once you do create clarity, then ACT upon your
thoughts on a daily basis!
As always if I can help you and
the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would
invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the
training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact. I am also
pleased to announce the launch of my first book, Leading Out Loud: Strategies for
Raising Your Leadership Voice! available on Amazon.com. Also, as a
bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your
contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring
initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical
to add value to your organization!
Yours in Leadership,
Bill Faulkner
Principal Consultant – Out
Loud Strategies
Independent Coach, Speaker,
and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Email
= bill@outloudinc.com
Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com
For more information on the
John Maxwell Team, please visit
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