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One day, in a hospital somewhere in America, a janitor named Luke quietly entered a young patient's room to clean. The boy lay in a coma, motionless, while his father sat nearby, exhausted from days of worry. When the father stepped out briefly to smoke, Luke did his job—emptied the trash, wiped the floors, and left. Moments later, the father returned, but Luke was already gone. He thought the room hadn't been cleaned, and angrily ran after him and accused him of not doing his job. Luke pushed back at first, but then he paused, nodded, and cleaned the room again. When he was asked why he cleaned the room twice, he said that at first he pushed back, but then he realized that this father had been there for days with his son in critical condition. So he did it again in front of him. He understood that this wasn't about cleaning. It was about grief, dignity, and being seen.

Luke understood his role and his purpose beyond a single task of cleaning. He saw the larger purpose of the whole institution that he was a part of—a hospital—where people and families come to get better. It was not about cleaning; it was about enabling patients and their families to get better and deal with the uncertainty of their situation.

(Story adapted from the book Practical Wisdom)

It's not just about your job description—it's about what is the core purpose and the essence of that job, but also the purpose and essence of you.

That's what being anchored in purpose feels like: doing the right thing, even when no rule tells you to. Purpose turns tasks into contributions, struggle into meaning.

As we continue our exploration of values, ethics, and leadership, purpose is the force that gives all of your values & leadership a direction 👇

🌀 Seven Common Misconceptions About Purpose

1️⃣ It has to be grand or world-changing – small, meaningful purposes matter just as much.

2️⃣ Purpose is fixed for life – It actually evolves as you grow and experience more.

3️⃣ It's something you find, not create – Many believe purpose is discovered, but it's actually crafted through action & reflection.

4️⃣ Purpose equals passion – Passion is about what excites you; purpose is about what gives your life meaning.

5️⃣ It's always joyful – Purposeful paths often involve discomfort, struggle, and sacrifice.

6️⃣ It's purely individual – Purpose is deeply connected to community, relationships, and service.

7️⃣ It only matters professionally – Purpose affects how you show up in all areas of life, not just work.

🧭 Reveal Your Leadership Path

When beginning any leadership coaching, I always open with two fundamental questions that I invite you to consider as well:

➡️ Who are you?

➡️ Where are you going?

"Who are you?" explores your current self-perception and identity. To dig deeper, I ask, "What is your story?"—inviting you to reflect on the experiences that have shaped your identity and perspective.

"Where are you going?" focuses on your future vision. What represents the greatest good, the most fulfilling life you can imagine? How far can you project your aspirations—5, 10, or 20 years ahead? I consistently encourage people to dream ambitiously, often following up with, "What is your big, crazy dream?"

These are challenging questions worth revisiting weekly.

When you gain clarity about both your present state and desired future—anchored in your deeper purpose—you develop a sharper understanding of who you need to become, what actions to take, and what distractions to ignore along your journey.

💜 Why Purpose Matters in Leadership?

The question of what matters to you — is a question of where and why you want to exercise leadership.

When you have more clarity on where you're going, anchored in purpose, you will have more clarity on which values you need to honor today in the choices that are in front of you, and the moral and adaptive challenges you are facing today.

Moreover, with purpose as your foundation, you transform how you view power and authority. Rather than seeing them as ends that might lead you to the dark side—you recognize them as tools to achieve what matters.

If you intend to lead, you will face difficult challenges, setbacks, and suffering. And there is nothing worse than meaningless suffering. Without meaning, even the simplest task will seem like a huge obstacle. With meaning and purpose, challenges become the way to deeper fulfillment and connection.

Exercising leadership from that place is very different, and others will see it too. That is the power of authentic, inspiring leadership.

💡 Example From My Life

I reflected a lot, and given my experience living in an authoritarian country (Serbia at the time) where I lost freedom and saw many people suffer and fail to reach their full potential, I became obsessed with enabling others to reach their full potential and creating empowering, democratic spaces. I want to teach millions worldwide about what it takes to become a democratic leader, encoding democratic leadership in the everyday lives of tens of millions of people, so that authoritarians at any level—from office dictators to those who oppress whole countries—do not stand a chance!

That clarity enabled me to pursue everything I do today. I knew what I wanted, but also what to say no to. If you don't have clarity about your purpose, you become an easy victim of being co-opted by the purpose of other people or systems, for better or worse.

Now, all of us in our lives do participate in other people's purposes too. That is fine, as long as it's on your own terms and you know where you're going.

🚀 Action Item: 5 Strategies to Clarify Your Purpose

1️⃣ Reflect on What Truly Matters

Carve out quiet time to look inward. Identify the values, causes, or activities that light you up inside. Ask yourself: When do I feel most fulfilled? Which work or life moments made you proud? Often, purpose hides in the themes of your peak experiences and core values.

Try this: Write down 3–5 times you felt “in the zone” or deeply satisfied with what you were doing. What do those moments have in common?

2️⃣ Identify Your Strengths (and Loves)

Think about your natural talents and skills – especially the ones you love using. Purpose often lies at the intersection of what you’re good at and what you enjoy.

Try this: List your top strengths or ask colleagues for input. Then brainstorm how each strength could contribute to something meaningful.

3️⃣ Look Outside Yourself

Purpose is ultimately about impact. Consider needs around you – in your workplace, community, or the wider world – that genuinely resonate with you.

Try this: Write down a few issues or communities you feel drawn to improve. Where do they intersect with your skills or interests?

4️⃣ Turn Pain into Purpose

Sometimes our greatest purpose grows from our greatest challenges. Reflect on obstacles you’ve overcome or defining life events.

Try this: Consider a difficulty that deeply affected you. What lessons did you learn? How could that insight guide you to contribute something valuable?

5️⃣ Experiment and Evolve

Purpose isn’t usually “found” all at once – it’s clarified through action. Take on side projects, volunteer, or try new roles to explore.

Try this: Commit to one experience in the next month that aligns with a possible purpose area. Afterwards, reflect: Did this energize me?

And don’t forget to dream big, cos that is the only way to achieve great things in your life ✊

🦋 If you know someone who could benefit from this article, please share it with them to support their leadership journey!

➕ Bonus Resources

🎥 TED Talks:

• “How to Know Your Life Purpose in 5 Minutes” by Adam Leipzig – A quick, energizing exercise to find clarity on your purpose in just minutes.

• “2 Questions to Uncover Your Passion and Turn It into a Career” by Noeline Kirabo – Inspiring talk on aligning passion with service for meaningful careers.

📚 Book: “Man’s Search for Meaning” - This is one of the best books I've read! It's a World War II story about survival and finding meaning and purpose.

PS: We also deliver leadership workshops for organizations and teams! Reply to this email and we will find time to talk.

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