Have a Point of View and Act on Purpose

Has anyone ever asked you want kind of leader you want to be?

How about what kind of parent, student, roommate, or any other role you may be in?

Have you asked yourself?

If your answer is yes, good for you. I hope you’re living up to your expectations. I suspect most people you know haven’t considered the question, and many might not even know where to begin to find an answer.

Why is it important?

If you don’t know what kind of person you want to be, how do you know if you’re succeeding? How do you know if your behavior is congruent with your goals?

Luckily, success leaves clues. Sleepless nights, persistent stomachaches, and general unease are a few hints that your external actions are not acting in harmony with your internal desires. Even if you’ve never spoken of your dreams to anyone else, your mind knows. When you’re feeling dissatisfaction, that’s your mind telling your body, “We are not in alignment.”

If you’ve never articulated your picture of success, never set your personal operating system, you are bound to fall off the rails from time to time because you’re acting on whimsy instead of purpose. When you give serious thought to what kind of __(fill in the blank)__ you want to be, you begin to sketch an outline in your mind.

Here are some of the variables to consider what goes into your point of view;

• What are your strengths? The characteristics that you’re so confident you possess that thinking about them makes you smile to yourself.
• How do you most effectively influence people? In what ways do you successfully persuade people to agree with you?
• What does it look like in your ideal world? What if there were no constraints, nothing to get in the way? We know there are always barriers, but for now, pretend there aren’t. Describe that world — vividly.
• Whom are you compelled to serve? Who are the people, or groups of people, important to you, and whom do you want to help succeed?

Review your answers and turn those insights into an intelligible sentence, paragraph, or manifesto. These seedlings of thought begin to develop into your point of view.

Perspectives are unique and individualized gifts; you’re supposed to unwrap them and use them. When you know what kind of person you want to be in the different roles of your life, and you’re clear on your point of view, your decision-making becomes clearer, and your confidence increases. Things may not get easier for you, but they will be simpler. Find your point of view and act on purpose.

Enjoy Leading or Don’t Lead

Not every day is sunshine and unicorns. Leading is not always fun. Often, you need to make tough decisions between choices that aren’t any good. That is what leaders do. If you thought it was giving commands to people to satisfy your whim, you goofed. You are going to have good days, horrible days, and days that make you go, “meh.” Enjoy them all. It is better than the alternative.

When leading feels like a burden or drudgery to you, it is time to hand over the reins. There are enough joyless leaders. We need more happy warriors filled with gratitude for what is, optimism for what can be, and the energy and innovation to bring it about.

The Karl Bimshas Consulting Library

Are you advancing confidently in the direction of your dreams? If not, this is a great time to re-introduce you to several titles from the Karl Bimshas Consulting Library for busy professionals who want to manage better and lead well — without becoming a jerk!

CLICK HERE to browse the library and download the short business story “Kevin Turtle Decides to Have a Great Year” as a thank you.

Let’s Talk About It!

Join the Reflections on Leadership Group

Start a conversation with other leaders in the Reflections on Leadership Group. It’s a space for busy professionals new to leadership or those needing renewal and is intended to be a forum for learning from and networking with other leaders in a supportive and encouraging way. Click Here => I WANT TO JOIN

Become a confident, competent leader in your field without becoming a jerk. Boston-bred and California-chilled Karl Bimshas is the leadership consultant, author, and podcast host who collaborates with busy professionals — most often those who are underestimated and underrepresented in leadership roles.

Improve the working relationships with your colleagues and direct reports to create high-performing teams with a series of leadership workbooks available at LeadershipWorkbooks.com