Leadership in Action: Issues and Observations - Leading with Purpose - Where it All Begins

TIME FOR REFLECTION

Many people, especially in Western cultures, have the idea that their purpose is defined just once in their lifetime—when they choose a major in college or a profession after graduation, for instance. In reality, there are other points in life when people typically reexamine and reassess what is most important to them, although they may not do so deliberately or even consciously. These instances reshape and evolve their sense of purpose. For leaders, reflecting on and clarifying their sense of purpose at each stage of life is crucial.

When people are in their twenties and early in their careers, for example, they tend to step back and look at how successful they have been in relation to their former classmates and the expectations ...