Leading With Purpose - Part 1

I’m often asked to speak about leading with purpose. But I’ve come to find that having a purpose at work is about far more than charity work, values or mission statements and I’m ready to put my cards on the table and get real with this one.

In many companies, the sad truth is that most employees don’t feel connected to whatever purpose or values statements the company has set out (if any), and though people feel unfulfilled the money keeps them where they are. Young people are more and more aware of this trap and increasingly veer away from it, seeking to also avoid contributing to a supply chain that is destroying the planet, with more graduates than ever pursuing impact over income. But even people who’ve been stuck in this trap for a long time are now saying “enough is enough”, as we continue to live through the ‘Great Resignation’ or the ‘Big Quit’ which started in early 2021.

I’m lucky to work with some amazing Scottish universities such as the University of Edinburgh, and often the students I’m coaching talk about taking the less trodden path and stepping into the charity sector or starting a social enterprise so they can feel their work has real meaning and impact. So I feel like a right Debbie Downer when I have to break it to them that working for a charity or social enterprise does not necessarily guarantee them a sense of purpose at work. People rarely talk about it openly, because no one wants to talk badly of an industry that does such important work. But everywhere I go, I hear stories from fellow third sector professionals that confirm it.

Ayahuasca brewing at Spirit Quest sanctuary in the Pervuian Amazon.

Where the business sector works on their sales pitches and competes for customers, charities have to get good at spinning their own narrative to fit into whatever tight box they’ve been given to compete for limited funding. Whether it’s a donation they’re after or a piece of funding they’re chasing, the skills required and energy expended are surprisingly similar.

I have seen on many occasions people (including myself) becoming disillusioned with working for a charity or a social enterprise when they realise that short of actually being the one serving food to people in need or being the one who actually gets close enough to politicians to convince them to adopt new policies, it’s kind of like every other office job... But without the resources. Imagine returning to work from annual leave in an organisation that deals with constant, unrelenting and important needs but with a smaller workforce, where the customers are vulnerable and the stakes are arguably higher. Pile on top of that some other crucial variables such as how effective the board members (or Trustees) of a charity are. I’ve met countless people who have had terrible experiences with this. The more I talk to professionals from the charity and social enterprise world the more cemented it is for me. Board members get involved with charities for all sorts of different reasons such as “giving back” - which sounds great as long as integrity is at their core and not the ego boost and social standing of attaching themselves to a cause. An organisation’s culture is set by those right at the top, whether through intention or neglect. 

In my previous leadership roles at Social Bite, when I’ve tried to encourage staff to go home at a reasonable hour instead of working into the night I’ve been met with concerns and anxiety that if they don’t stay late and get through the work then it doesn’t get done, it piles up and ultimately the promises we make about our social impact won’t be realised. This is a huge amount of pressure for people and a testament to how much people care. And it isn’t just Social Bite, it’s every charity organisation I’ve come into contact with. It’s almost impossible to not become part of the thankless over-working/rat-race problem yourself if you want to succeed in business or in social impact, and I’m just as guilty as the next person.

But Simon Sinek says “Leadership is not about being in charge, it's about taking care of those in your charge.” So for the first few years, I’d regularly stay late myself so that others could go home. But anyone who’s done this in a leadership position before knows that this is a recipe for firefighting to emerge over strategic thinking and for burnout and breakdown to grab ahold of your mental health. That kind of exhaustion doesn’t just heal itself when you’re strong enough to go back to work. It can damage a person’s confidence in a way that takes years to repair. The work my team and I were doing in hospitality wasn’t like working late from bed or having the freedom of creative thinking and decision making that keeps you up by the glow of your laptop all night (which comes with a different form of exhaustion). It physically takes you away from your own life and places you in service of others in a very tactile way, whether that be the team you’re managing, the customers you’re serving or the huge amounts of food you’re preparing when working late like that. (Believe it or not I actually really love hospitality!)

Don’t get me wrong, knowing that the hours you’re putting in are for a greater purpose such as working for a cause and not just for someone else’s bank balance is a huge bonus when trying to motivate a team or even yourself. But it only goes so far when you aren’t up close to the real impact of your work on a regular basis, which so few charity employees get to be. And the ones who are, are often exhausted and overloaded: Though they get to experience the sense of fulfilment that so many of us are looking for, it’s often in exchange for their own free time and quality of their personal life. I felt most connected to purpose in my role when I was hands-on in the cafes and production kitchen, where I was managing people who’d been homeless and serving food to the homeless community myself. I’m certain it’s because of that, that Social Bite has so many incredible volunteers who come to facilitate the free-food service each week - they get to add to their own sense of purpose and contribution.

But how can people find a real sense of purpose in their full-time job? What we know is that whatever industry you’re in, it’s too easy to feel a lack of purpose, fulfilment and connection to your work. We also know that most of us spend 5 days out of our 7 every week at work throughout our youngest and most able years. So not feeling good about it is a pretty dire situation for people’s mental health and productivity. And finally, we know that purpose and fulfilment is something most young people are now actively looking for but are rarely able to find. 

Assuming that most people want to climb the professional ladder to eventually have a job where they earn enough money to travel, build a life, buy a house, feel secure, have a family or any other perfectly reasonable things they may want, how can people in the 21st century really have a sense of purpose at work long-term (given that most of us will work until we’re about 65!)?

My obsession with meaning, connection and authenticity even led me to Peru, where I ventured out to the Amazon and took part in 4 ayahuasca ceremonies in 8 days. I found some clues out there that make more sense to me now than they did back then, and although my ayahuasca experience was totally different to the ones we commonly hear about, I can see how that trip (pun intended) has led me to where I am today - focusing in on what it means to be a human being in this day and age, and how to really grow into our potential.

With “The Great Resignation” of the last 2 years which shows no sign of stopping, and young people entering the working world demanding that their job be about more than just the bottom line, what does it really mean to have a genuine sense of purpose, belonging and motivation at work? Stay tuned for Part 2…