Improve your life—and the world—by excavating your reason to serve and how you can successfully do it.
One of the reasons I think that every leader—whether in healthcare or another industry—should do executive personal branding is because of the incredible benefits people get when they know their purpose.
For example, people who know their purpose likely live longer. This article from Blue Zones describes the results of research led by Pulitzer prize-winning M.D. Robert N. Butler and funded by the National Institutes for Health. The 11-year study followed healthy people between the ages of 65 and 92 and looked at the correlation between having a sense of purpose and longevity. The results showed that those who expressed having clear goals or purpose lived longer and lived better than those who did not.
Another Blue Zones article cites a 2019 study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association that linked a strong sense of purpose with a lower risk of all-cause mortality after age 50. The study asked about 7,000 adults over the age of 50 to rank their life purpose. Researchers assigned life-purpose scores based on participants’ responses and followed up with them five years later. The study found that participants who had the lowest life-purpose scores were twice as likely to have died than those with the highest scores. While this recent study was based on correlative data, it still adds to the evidence suggesting that having a strong sense of purpose can impact health and longevity for the long haul.
I see two more benefits of knowing your purpose every day in my work helping leaders in healthcare develop their personal brands. One, executives who have done executive personal branding and know their purpose often rapidly achieve the next milestone in their careers—whether that’s their dream job, a promotion, giving an important presentation or getting a board seat. Two, leaders who have clarified their reason to serve are more likely to go on to deliver on their unique passion and talents in a big way—and that makes the world a better place.
One of my favorite quotes applies well here. Author, philosopher, theologian and educator Howard Thurman once said: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”
Does it sound pretty good to live longer, more rapidly achieve your next career milestone and make the world a better place? Read on to learn how you can discover your unique purpose and position yourself to act on it fully.
How to Know Your Personal Purpose
The first Blue Zones article referenced in this post suggests that the first step to knowing your purpose is to “do an internal inventory.”
“Think about your ideas, principles, standards and morals,” the article says. “Then think of your physical, emotional and mental talents, strengths and abilities.
“Take out a blank sheet of paper and write or type for about 20 minutes,” it continues. “It might take a while, but eventually you’ll clear your mind and get to what you really want to contribute to the world. You’ll know you’re getting close when you have a strong emotional reaction to something you’ve written.
“Then write your personal purpose statement to incorporate what you like to do and where you can share your talents.”
That’s pretty good advice! At Revealing Genius, we have formalized similar ideas into our time-proven ETA™ process and helped hundreds of leaders go through the three key steps to clarifying, articulating and acting on their executive personal brands: excavate, tell and affirm.
One of my favorite things to do during the ETA process is help executives develop what Blue Zones calls a “personal purpose statement” and I call a “transformation statement” or a “private brand manifesto” or, many times, a “purpose-why-how statement.” Whatever it’s called, this statement encapsulates the unwavering essence of your purpose.
We develop it together—so you don’t have to do it alone. The statement is created based on an effective process that involves:
- Developing your two-word purpose statement. Check out OnPurpose.me for a preview.
- Telling your personal brand stories out loud. Many people are modest about the life stories that stand out for them—but it turns out there is an incredible amount of power behind them, especially when you actually tell them to someone. These stories typically lead us to an all-but-perfect transformation statement by filling in our simple but effective formula: To <contribution> so that <impact>.
- Writing down your “hows.” These are the things you do to show up as the best version of yourself. In the absence of these hows, it will be challenging, if not impossible, to accomplish your purpose.
Putting Your Purpose Into Action Through Executive Personal Branding
Developing your purpose is a key part of the excavate step of the ETA process from Revealing Genius. The other two steps—tell and affirm—will help you put your purpose into action. We’ll help you articulate your purpose in many different situations, whether that’s on your LinkedIn profile, on your CV, in the board room, in an all-staff presentation or—yes—on the proverbial elevator.
If you’d like to dip your toe into learning more about developing your executive personal brand using the ETA process from Revealing Genius, check out our complimentary Excavate Your Brand webinar or our 7-Day Summit. If you’re ready to dive in deep or prefer private sessions to excavate your purpose, check out our 1:1 executive coaching options. We look forward to helping you discern what “makes you come alive” so you can “go do it.” After all, that’s what the world needs.
