Purposeful Work – Weekend Reflections for Leaders: July 9, 2022

Over the last few months, I have received a great deal of comments on the topic of making transitions in a career and the growing wave of interest into a more entrepreneurial career journey. The trend being observed with today’s Great Resignation and the reality for many that the concept of working for and retiring from one company over the course of a career is no longer the dream compared to creating one’s own path to a fulfilling professional journey has caused most leaders to take notice and look for guidance to build a plan.

Based on this interest, I will plan to share a series of learnings over the coming weeks on some key considerations for leaders to think through in contemplating the next chapter of their careers in a smaller, early-stage business compared to the large, multi-national, headline grabbing companies. My experience has been built more in the healthcare marketplace, but I will share some general concepts that are actionable to various markets and segments. Having guided many leaders through these decision points, my intent is to provide content that is practical and relevant across industries.

The focus for today’s topic is on helping leaders understand for themselves on a very personal level, where they feel most purposeful in making a difference with their professional efforts. The stark contrast in the mindset of leaders from large companies to those early-stage ventures is in where they feel most purposeful in making a difference. Both mindsets are relevant in the marketplace. It is a personal choice for a leader to make as to where they feel most aligned and energized.

Leading effectively in a large company consumes a massive amount of energy in keeping the internal machine functioning. There are a great deal of existing processes, financial trends and people involved that keeping the current machine functioning as effectively as possible is the primary intent of the leader. For some leaders, they feel most fulfilled in making a difference by helping the existing business run more effectively.

By contrast, leaders in early-stage ventures expend a great deal of energy on the more hands-on personal impact in creating and launching products and services and scaling the business to reach a sustainable level. Leaders in early-stage ventures find purpose in taking a risk to build something compared to risk of grinding it out and staying with a large company for what seems like the potential of a nice retirement package.

The mindset of leaders who find purpose in a large company or an early-stage venture are both meaningful and relevant. There needs to be no judgment by outsiders as to what is better or worse. Leaders need to do some introspection and come to a clear decision as to where they feel most purposeful at this point in their careers.  Once they make that decision, then the guidance on what step to take in the next chapter of their career becomes more practical and directed.

As we look to build and strengthen our leadership over a long-term career journey, we must be intentional about taking steps to ensure we have the skills and experiences necessary to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing marketplace. One of those important steps is determining for ourselves how we define purposeful work.    

How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@david34873

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com. I hope you find them helpful in your journey.

Also, for those leaders in healthcare, I wanted to share a link to a program specifically for leaders in healthcare who are looking for insights into building the next chapter of their career in the early-stage of healthcare. I was asked to contribute to this program based on my experience of leaving a large healthcare company and building my career in the early-stage. Please take a look at the link below.