Great leaders don’t stumble into their roles by accident—they grow into them with intention, clarity, and self-awareness. To lead effectively, you must first understand who you are, what drives you, and how your unique leadership style shapes the path forward.
Knowing your purpose as a leader isn’t just about professional success; it’s about aligning your values, skills, and passions to inspire and guide those around you. But finding that purpose doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By asking yourself a few key questions, you can uncover the foundation of your leadership and chart a course that aligns with your authentic self.
Let’s explore how you can discover your leadership path and style.
1. What Am I Passionate About?
The best leaders are fueled by passion. Reflect on the activities and topics that light you up—those moments when time flies because you’re so engaged.
- For Leadership: Are you passionate about mentoring others? Driving innovation? Solving problems? Identifying your passions helps you lead with enthusiasm and authenticity.
- Take Action: Make a list of what excites you most and think about how those passions can shape your leadership style.
When your passion is clear, your energy inspires your team to follow your lead.
2. What Do I Want to Learn More About?
Leaders are lifelong learners. If there’s a topic or skill you can’t stop exploring, it’s a clue about what drives you.
- For Leadership: Are you fascinated by organizational dynamics, team psychology, or technical expertise? Pursuing knowledge in these areas can strengthen your leadership and help you grow.
- Take Action: Commit to learning something new this year that aligns with your leadership goals, whether through books, courses, or mentorship.
Curiosity not only helps you grow—it signals to your team that learning is a priority.
3. What Are My Strengths?
Knowing your strengths is essential to effective leadership. Reflect on what you naturally do better than most and how you can leverage those abilities to empower your team.
- For Leadership: Are you a great communicator? A strategic thinker? A problem solver? Recognizing your strengths helps you lead confidently and delegate wisely.
- Take Action: Make a list of your top skills and consider how to build on them to enhance your leadership.
Authentic leaders play to their strengths while helping others do the same.
4. What Were My Childhood Dreams?
Your childhood aspirations can reveal a lot about your core values and interests.
- For Leadership: Think back to what you wanted to be when you were younger. Was it a teacher? A coach? An inventor? Why did those roles appeal to you?
- Take Action: Identify the values behind those dreams—like helping others, being creative, or solving challenges—and consider how they align with your leadership today.
Sometimes your childhood dreams hold the key to understanding your deeper motivations.
5. What Are My Core Values?
Leadership rooted in values is leadership that lasts. Reflect on what matters most to you and how those values guide your decisions.
- For Leadership: Are you driven by integrity, collaboration, innovation, or growth? Your values define your leadership style and the culture you want to build.
- Take Action: Write down your top five values and ensure your leadership practices align with them.
When your actions reflect your values, you earn trust and respect from your team.
6. What Is My Intuition Telling Me?
Leadership involves balancing logic with instinct. Your gut feelings often reveal truths about what aligns with your authentic self.
- For Leadership: Listen to that inner voice when making decisions. It often knows what’s right for you and your team before you do.
- Take Action: Spend time in quiet reflection or journaling to clarify what your instincts are telling you about your path forward.
Great leaders trust their intuition while staying open to feedback and growth.
7. Why Do I Lead?
Understanding your “why” clarifies your purpose as a leader.
- For Leadership: Ask yourself why leadership appeals to you. Is it about empowering others? Driving change? Building something meaningful?
- Take Action: Use your “why” as a compass to guide your decisions and leadership style.
When you lead with purpose, your team feels your commitment and is inspired to follow.
8. Am I Ready to Choose?
Leadership requires decisive action. Reflecting on your purpose is valuable, but at some point, you must commit to a path and move forward.
- For Leadership: Evaluate your options and trust that even if your choice isn’t perfect, it’s a step toward clarity and growth.
- Take Action: Make a decision about your next step as a leader, whether it’s pursuing a specific goal, refining your style, or addressing a challenge.
Choosing a direction signals to your team that you’re ready to lead with confidence.
Lead With Purpose
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions and staying true to your unique style and values. When you know who you are and why you lead, you can inspire others to bring their best selves to the table.
Don’t wait for clarity to magically arrive. Take time to reflect on these questions, trust your instincts, and embrace the path that aligns with your authentic self.
Your team and workplace culture will thrive when your leadership reflects who you truly are.
If you want more secrets to a thriving workplace, you can:
Listen to the Culture Secrets Podcast on your favorite platform.
Grab your copy of the book Culture Secrets.
Booking now for speaking and training events.
Join my private Successfully Ever After Facebook Group for trainings and information designed for success-seekers.
Check out my audio books: Get Noticed, Get Hired or When In Doubt, Delete It!
