Lead With Purpose

By Michelle Hubert

To lead with purpose is to show up every day as the very best version of ourselves—to be a source of love and light to the people we often spend more time with than our own families. When you are inspired to lead with purpose, leadership becomes a calling rather than a title.

In my 30-plus years leading myself and others, I have distilled leadership into two core principles: Before we can lead others, we must first lead ourselves well, being intentional in how we nurture our own lives. We must be the change we want to see. Once we set ourselves on the right path, we can then shift our focus to pouring into those around us, helping them to become the best versions of themselves.

LEADING OURSELVES

We are all responsible for our own professional development. No matter what position we hold, we can make it a job or make it a mission. If it’s “just a job” to us, it will show up in the way we approach our work and be obvious to everyone around us.

Everything changes when we are “on a mission” in the work that we do every day, for us and for everyone we work with. Are you on a mission every day to serve your customers, co-workers and organization in a way that only you can?

Here are three beliefs that have supported my personal and professional growth over the course of my career. They are simple but powerful.

Continuously expand your circle. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Are you spending time with people who are pushing you to move beyond your comfort zone and be the very best version of yourself? Find opportunities to connect with people who are at a higher level of success than you are. It may be intimidating, but that twinge of anxiety can also be energizing. The relationships you build by expanding your circle outside of your comfort zone will enrich your life in ways you never imagined.

Pay attention to what is influencing you. What content are you consuming? Whether it is books, podcasts, articles, videos or TV, is what you are spending your time on making you a better human being, family member or leader? There is nothing wrong with using any of these purely for entertainment, but be careful what you are allowing into your life. It’s influencing you whether you recognize it or not.

Prioritize your personal development program. Does your calendar reflect your commitment to continual growth? Show me your calendar, and I’ll tell you what is important to you. Be sure that you have scheduled opportunities for personal and professional development. We need regular doses of energy, motivation and inspiration in addition to specific growth opportunities.

We can’t help our team be the best version of themselves if we don’t invest in becoming the best version of ourselves!

LEADING OTHERS

Our teams are primary to our success. It is the leader’s role to support the people who are getting things done, not the other way around. Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy in which the leader’s main goal is to serve. Servant leaders put the needs of team members first and help people develop and perform as the best versions of themselves. Here are some ways to support, develop and serve your team.

CONNECTION

Building connections deepens trust, provides a purpose and creates a sense of community within the team.

Rally to a common cause. One of the most impactful things you can do as a leader is to help team members connect to a cause greater than themselves. Create a shared vision and mission with your team, and tie them into everything that you do. Remind your team often of the great work they are doing for their clients and communities. People who believe there is meaning to their work are more engaged.

Put people first. Always lead with the positive, and be quick to address issues, praising in public and correcting in private. Continually fill every team member’s bucket, making ten deposits for every withdrawal. Remember, results matter, but only as a reflection of how your people are feeling. Happy, healthy people create happy, healthy results.

Lead with love. Create a culture of growing and learning together where people are empowered to act and allowed to make mistakes. Expect progress, not perfection. Be present for your team physically, emotionally and spiritually. Transparency, authenticity and integrity are the hallmarks of a great leader.

CONSISTENCY

It is never the big things that make the biggest difference. It is the small things done consistently over time.

Calm the chaos. People flee unpredictable environments. Be predictable and consistent in your actions and expectations. Do you quiet chaos for your team, or are you creating more of it? Stay focused on a few critical priorities. Don’t be distracted by every shiny, new object. Remember, when you have too many priorities, you really don’t have any.

Create clear expectations. Provide a framework that lets people know not only what activities and results are expected, but also what behaviors are expected. Create guiding principles that let team members know: “This is how we do it here.” Have quarterly conversations to review performance. A team member should never be surprised by your feedback. Remember, as Brené Brown teaches us, clear is kind, and unclear is unkind.

Deliver on commitments. Your word is your bond. Keep your promises, and be honest in your interactions with others. Be relentless in execution, doing what needs to be done to deliver on commitments, including jumping in and working with your team, whatever the task. Become known as a problem solver who keeps things moving forward.

COLLABORATION

Our superpower as leaders is in bringing together each person’s strengths to create a better result than any one of us could accomplish on our own.

We’re better together. Create a culture that fosters collaboration. No one on the team should feel they are “going it alone.” In a collaborative culture, team members are committed to helping each other. If you create connections and consistency, people will want to collaborate.

Working for the greater good. Rallying around a cause that serves a greater purpose, encourages collaboration, provides focus and creates engagement. When we do this well, team members will push beyond individual goals to help other team members (as well as the organization) meet higher goals for the greater good.

Contributing at a higher level. Help your team dream bigger, individually and collectively. Do you truly believe in your team and what they are capable of achieving, or are you constantly micromanaging and making decisions for them? Who are you developing? Who are you encouraging, and who are you putting courage into?

Productivity, retention and team engagement will surge as you serve your team by developing them to contribute at higher levels and serve yourself by continually strengthening your personal and professional capabilities. Whether your “teams” are employees, volunteers, community members or even family members, lead with purpose, serving and nurturing others to become the very best versions of themselves.