Why is having a ‘purpose’ so valuable at work and what’s it got to do with gravitas?

In her book Happiness At Work, Jessica Pryce-Jones calculates that people will spend an average of 90,000 hours at work in their lifetimes. If you’re going to invest all that time in the workplace, it’s important to understand why you are there.

OK, so most of us go to work to make money, to learn, and to connect with others. But we also want to find fulfilment. This article looks at purpose at work, and how it links to gravitas.

What is purpose?

There are as many versions of gravitas as there are people reading this article. But based on my research, the one thing that unites people with gravitas is that they all have a sense of purpose. And whenever I ask people on my courses why they lead the life they lead, at home and at work, everyone ultimately wants to make a difference to the world around them.

Purpose sits at the heart of the Gravitas Wheel I feature in my book, Leading with Gravitas. To use the Wheel, you start by identifying a goal you’d like to achieve at work, then assess how you see yourself against the six qualities I discovered are essential to gravitas. (There’s more on that in my full article here)

At the outset of my book, Leading With Gravitas, I say:

At a fundamental level, a leader with gravitas has spent time exploring who they are and their unique purpose in life. They look beyond their immediate horizon to the world on a wider scale and are willing to make a contribution that is beyond personal gain.

If you think about any heroic story, whether it’s the latest blockbuster or your favourite fairytale, the lead character becomes aware of their personal mission and destiny.

• What’s yours?
• What difference do you want to make?
• What legacy do you want to leave?

Sometimes the pressure to find your ‘why’ can be quite stressful for people! “I’m just doing my job”, they’ll say, “I’m not here to discover the secret to everlasting happiness or solve the climate crisis!”. If that’s you, don’t worry. It is possible to have a fulfilling purpose that brings meaning to your life, and this can make a massive difference at both a career level and organisational level.

Finding your purpose

Mel Robbins, international best-selling author of The 5 Second Rule says:

“The most important skill you need to find your purpose is listening. Deeply listening. Your body, your spirit and your soul will tell you when you are close to your purpose.”

The first quality you’ll need, therefore, is self-awareness, to understand where you are right now – this is also the first segment in my Gravitas Wheel.

A good leader needs to be aware of their potential, their flaws, how they come across and their impact on others. It’s a starting point and a checkpoint throughout your progress.

To do this, you’ll need to both practice inner reflection and be receptive to feedback. This will help you appreciate and nurture your strengths, be honest about your weaknesses, and understand how you react under pressure so you can learn from your experiences and act with more self-control.

You’ll also want to reflect on your personal values and beliefs to see how they align with your organisation’s vision, mission and values, so that you can either embrace the culture you’re in or move on if there’s a disconnect.

• Actively seek out feedback so you know how you are perceived. One way to do this is to give feedback that’s well-intentioned and constructive, as this may encourage other people to reciprocate. Request specific actionable feedback on one-off events or projects you deliver. Take advantage of the 360-degree feedback process (if offered by your organisation). Look at any useful truths and work out what you’ll do differently next time
• Build self-evaluation into your day. Examine what went well (or not) and incorporate the learnings for the future
• Study some of the many self-awareness books, thought papers and talks that are available, online and offline
• Model leaders who inspire you

The next step is to decide where you want to go.

Want to find out more? Then visit my full article available on my website here!