Defining your role and personal why

On a top level it is useful to envision yourself within a wider purpose. A simple approach to seeking clarity is to focus on four things: self, skills, social, and service.

Your Purpose:

• Self - How do you want to describe your ideal self? 

It is helpful to be clear on what dimension you want to grow into.

• Social - How do you want to behave socially?

Be clear on what you want to be and how you want to interact with others.

• Skills - What skills do you want to develop and demonstrate? 

Be clear on what 3 skills are you currently working to develop so you’ll become more successful this year.

• Service - What service do you want to provide?

Be clear on how you can serve your peers.

Your Role:

These four areas are a foundation to understand the role you are attempting to playing better as well.

As a rule-of-thumb, leaders can cast themselves in one of four general roles:

1. As an expert in this field
   – or the protector of the organization’s culture.
   Corporate leaders who are attempting to be an expert will keep a close watch on their human resources and continuously evaluate whether the right people are in place and how best to groom the next generation of business leaders. Experts always attempt to make rational decisions based on facts rather than opinions.
   
   
2. As a visionary
   - whose passion is the main driving force in everything they do. These leaders speak from deep within to motivate others. People may doubt their conclusions, but nobody will ever question their conviction or passion.
   
   
3. As a coach
   - who wants everyone in the organization to succeed.
   These types of corporate leaders teach the fundamentals and do more training than anything else. They also attempt to provide a useable framework or formula for success.
   
   
4. As a transformer
   - with a mission to take the organization from where it is now to where it needs to be in the future. When these leaders communicate, they are attempting to sell others on the benefits of coming along with them.

Bearing in mind that leaders may choose to be the expert one day and a coach the next, a good leader always give some thought beforehand as to what they are trying to achieve with each communication:

• Am I attempting to provide enough information to explain something new?
• Am I trying to overcome the anticipated objections of my listeners?
• Am I trying to sell the people in the audience on my idea or a better way of doing things?
• Am I attempting to celebrate some notable milestone by what I say?
• Am I attempting to entertain in the spirit of having some lighthearted fun?