The Price of Leadership: Finding Purpose Beyond Rewards
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Many of us find ourselves in leadership roles initially because of our expertise. We do excellent work, get promoted and/or start managing a small team, then a larger one, and so on. In the process we receive perks like recognition, money, and title.
It took me many years to pause and reflect on why I chose to continue this path of leading others. Let’s face it: leading people is a lot of work. And frequently the perks we receive come with a hefty price tag.
Our purpose is to create a positive impact on others from a place of love. One way I aim to fulfill my purpose is by influencing someone else’s career. Considering the significant amount of time we spend at work, our careers deeply affect our lives beyond the workplace. So, by positively shaping people’s careers, I can also influence their personal lives in a meaningful way.
I also aspire to serve as a role model for those following in my footsteps on being confident, decisive, and the exception while also demonstrating emotional intelligence traits such as trust, empathy, and authenticity.
“Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” Albert Schweitzer, French-German physician, theologian, musician, and philosopher
We all want and need direction in various aspects of our lives. We may lead a system conversion at work, but we let our foodie friend pick the restaurant for Sunday brunch.
The world is in desperate need of solid leadership examples – “If not me, who? If not now, when?”
In his book Leadershift, John C. Maxwell writes, the choice to lead because of benefits, benefits no one, not even the leader. Focusing on perks won’t take you anywhere worthwhile because deep inner fulfillment never comes from perks.
I once made the mistake of pursuing a promotion solely for the sake of title, recognition, and financial gain. I immediately noticed the internal misalignment. My satisfaction with the work and the people around me immediately plummeted. And of course, I did not get the promotion.
Thankfully, I was able to recover quickly and realign once more with my reasons to lead others.
Leadership demands significant mental, emotional, and sometimes physical energy. For this reason, it is crucial to remain true to our values, motivation, and purpose.
“Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.” Publilius Syrus, Latin writer
According to John C. Maxwell in his book Leadershift, there are three prices to honor as we continue to reach our potential as leaders.
1) Reality
Anything worth achieving takes time and mental, emotional, and physical energy.
We must balance both the hope and the reality of what needs to be done. This is true for us and for the people we lead and influence.
When I first started my career, I raised my hand to fill in for a colleague during her one-week vacation. This was in the mid-nineties so there was no remote work – when people were out of town, it was hard to reach them.
Every possible challenging scenario happened that week. I was so inexperienced and felt so overwhelmed that I almost cried every single day.
With my manager’s support and my internal belief that I was going to make it, I kept going and finished the week. I could have told my boss “I can’t do this; please, ask someone else.” I am now certain that if I had done that, it would have made it to my list of regrets.
It was the interplay of reality (it was difficult to do) and hope (I believed I would make it to the other side) that made it possible for me to buckle up and solve each daunting problem that week.
That experience propelled me to other challenges and projects and made me stand out from the crowd.
“The price of greatness is responsibility.” Winston Churchill, British statesman, soldier, and writer
2) Example
Being the example often entails venturing first into unchartered territory. People gravitate towards leaders who take action and forge paths before anyone else. It is easier to follow a trail than to build one.
Building a new path, being the example is far from easy. Many times, we feel like slacking off, procrastinating, wanting someone else to take care of things for a change. We may be afraid of going into the unknown. After all, we are human.
This is where our self-confidence, own expectations, and commitments are essential to keep us from defaulting to what is comfortable and familiar.
One of my friends wanted to become more involved in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at her company. A few months into her role in Sales she realized that the Hispanic/Latino employees did not have their own resource network. Driven by her passion, she took the initiative to establish the Hispanic/Latino resource network and led it for its first year. Through her dedication, skills, and ability to set an example, she successfully transitioned from Sales to managing DEI programs.
“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right thing.” Peter F. Drucker, American business consultant
3) Consistency
Maintaining consistency is one of the most arduous undertakings for us.
We get discouraged because we want to see instant results. However, anything worth pursuing in life takes consistent effort and action over time.
We may lose weight in 30 days, but we need consistency to keep it off. We may fall in love at first sight, but we need consistency to build a solid, loving, and lasting relationship. Or we may immediately nail the interview and get a job offer on the spot, but we need consistency to execute our role well, and grow in the company.
According to John C. Maxwell, being consistent provides security for others, establishes our reputation, and it compounds.
Keep these benefits in mind whenever you feel tempted to give up and deviate from your overall purpose and North star. By doing so, you will summon the motivation needed to persevere along your journey, even when immediate results are not apparent.
“Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” Vince Lombardi, American football player, coach, and executive
One more thing before you go
Leading with purpose often requires letting go of things, people, and activities that no longer align with it. For example, if we want to lead our household to embrace a healthy lifestyle, we may need to limit the number of pizza parties we attend or host.
Changing our routines and restricting time with certain people (in real life or virtually) can feel like a significant sacrifice. This is our brain resisting change in order to keep us “safe.”
Aligning our leadership to our purpose is a sacrifice worth making. In time, we will find ourselves in ease and flow and attracting abundance. Our new habits, routines, activities, and associations will become our new normal and it will no longer feel like a sacrifice.
When our words and actions are in sync, and when they reflect our overarching purpose, life becomes more fulfilling. We experience less anxiety about the future, and more balance between being and doing. Eventually, being in a state of ease and flow becomes a natural and frequent occurrence.
How do you go about honoring the three prices in your leadership journey? Please, let us know in the comments.
As a leadership coach, I enable talent to achieve bold goals with high standards. My mission is to empower underrepresented women in the financial industry transition from mid to senior level leadership positions using mental fitness to achieve peak performance, peace of mind, and healthier relationships.