Finding Your Purpose: The Key to Authentic Leadership and Personal Growth
This week Kristian Livolsi talks about purpose, leadership and bravery, taking a deep dive into what your purpose is, why you should find it and how it will change your life, personally and professionally.
Drawing on experiences and sharing some very personal moments Kristian unpacks his own purpose to help our listeners understand how they too can do the same.
Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” While the importance of having a clearly defined purpose is widely acknowledged, finding your purpose—your true ‘why’—isn’t always straightforward.
Understanding What Purpose Really Means
Purpose goes beyond simple motivation or goals. It’s your fundamental reason for doing or creating something—what gives you determination and drives you forward. As leaders note, it’s “the choice to bring who we are, our gifts and our energies to whatever we are doing.” It’s a moment-to-moment choice that impacts every aspect of our lives.
The Two Dimensions of Purpose
Purpose typically manifests in two key areas:
- Life purpose: Your overall reason for being
- Professional purpose: Your driving force at work
While these don’t necessarily need to align, those who achieve harmony between their life and professional purpose often find the greatest fulfilment. This alignment creates a natural flow between work and personal life, though achieving this balance can be challenging, particularly for entrepreneurs.
Why Finding Your Purpose Matters
Mental Health and Resilience
Research shows that having a strong sense of purpose can:
- Protect against depression
- Buffer the impact of life stress
- Promote better coping mechanisms
- Support faster recovery from setbacks
- Increase overall resilience
Leadership Impact
Purpose-driven leadership has distinct advantages:
- Creates lasting customer loyalty
- Builds stronger team relationships
- Inspires genuine following
- Enables authentic vulnerability
- Facilitates meaningful impact
The Purpose Paradox
Interestingly, many leaders struggle with purpose. Harvard Business School research reveals that fewer than 20% of leaders have a strong sense of their individual purpose, and even fewer can articulate it clearly. This gap often leads to:
- Limited aspirations
- Unfulfilled professional goals
- Generic leadership approaches
- Difficulty translating purpose into action
Finding Your Purpose: A Practical Approach
- Start Asking Questions The journey begins when you start questioning your current path and motivations. The right questions naturally lead to meaningful answers.
- Look Beyond Success As Jim Carrey noted, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” True purpose transcends conventional success.
- Examine Daily Tasks Understanding the purpose behind each task helps align daily activities with your broader mission. Ask yourself why you perform specific actions and what meaning they hold.
- Consider Your Impact Your purpose often reveals itself through how you affect others. What would people miss most if you were gone? What unique value do you bring?
- Embrace Vulnerability Finding your purpose requires openness to self-examination and potential change. It means being willing to be seen for who you truly are.
The Courage to Live Your Purpose
Finding your purpose requires bravery. It means:
- Making conscious decisions for change
- Letting go of what isn’t working
- Taking action despite fear
- Being willing to sacrifice for greater goals
- Leading from both the front and the trenches
Translating Purpose into Action
Your purpose doesn’t need to be unique or revolutionary—it just needs to be authentic to you. Consider this framework:
- Start with personal transformation
- Extend to helping others
- Connect ideas and people
- Create meaningful change
- Enable others to flourish
The Greater Purpose
Remember that your individual purpose should contribute to something larger than yourself. This might mean:
- Helping others become their best selves
- Connecting people, ideas, and organisations
- Supporting those who need a voice
- Creating positive change in your community
Moving Forward
Finding your purpose is not a destination but a journey. It requires continuous reflection, adjustment, and action. When you understand your purpose, you gain:
- Clearer decision-making ability
- Stronger leadership capabilities
- Enhanced resilience
- Greater personal fulfillment
- More meaningful impact
The journey of finding your purpose begins with being willing to ask the important questions. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, executive, or individual seeking meaning, understanding your purpose provides the foundation for authentic leadership and personal growth.
As always,
Live with purpose.