I’ve worked with over 400 multi-national organisations over the last 30 years.
I’ve coached thousands of CEOs and senior leaders. But despite their individual and collective brilliance, their years of international experience; their operational intensity and their strategic insightfulness, there is one question that none of these leaders can ever answer.
And that question is: “Why?”.
“Why do you do what you do?”
This question often comes up, relatively early on, in many coaching programmes. When you ask, most leaders are able to tell you, often in great detail, what they’re doing. But few can tell you WHY they’re doing the job they’re doing.
Most leaders set out on a career path and became an expert at something. They trained in a discipline, be that finance, marketing, sales, operations or whatever. But few chose to run the business they’re now running. Even founders, who set up their companies to address a specific problem, can’t tell you exactly WHY they’re doing it.
This is odd, particularly because it’s often said that the two most important days of your life are:
1. The day you are born.
2. And the day you discovered WHY you were born.
If pressed for a reason. Many leaders offer something along the lines of:
“Well, I’m a businessperson, so I guess the reason I do what I’m doing is to make money”.
“No. Money is a consequence of being good at your job”, I suggest. “It’s not why you do the job. You’re very smart; you could make money in lots of ways. Why are you doing this job”.
If we reject money as a purpose, some leaders suggest the reason they’re doing the job is to be a good father, husband, mother or wife. “No. That’s the purpose of men and women. It’s not your personal purpose.” I suggest.
“Well, is procreation the reason I exist then”, some ask in desperation. “No. That’s the purpose of a specifies. It’s not your purpose”.
Leaders don’t know. They’re not living their life “on purpose”. They’re often going through the motions. Doing a good, or bad, job. But few know WHY.
Over the last 30 years I coached billionaire venture capitalists in New York who are directly influencing the financial stability of Europe and Asia; and I’ve coached multi-millionaire CEOs of some of the worlds biggest tech, retail, banking and manufacturing companies.
And I can tell you that many feel lonely. Despite all their achievements and all the trapping of success: massive wealth; significant power and influence; fancy cars, big houses, yachts, first-class travel or private jets, there is often a sense of meaninglessness. Incredible success but a lack of purpose.
Some feel genuinely lost.
Some leaders are sufficiently self-aware to sense that something is not quite right. But they can’t put their finger on it.
If this is you, then you’re not alone. Many of your colleagues feel this way, but few will ever admit it. They wear a mask of assertive invincibility; they project confidence, secure in their success.
But ask a few piercing questions and fragility is not far from the surface. The smartest leaders may even ‘well-up’ when facing the truth of their lack of purpose.
If you are reflective, and have spent any time thinking about the deeper meaning of life, you may have asked yourself “Is this it? Is this all there is?”
The good news is that the answer to this question is a resounding “No”.
There is a point. There is a purpose to your existence.
But helping you uncover your purpose and then understand what it means takes skilful, careful work with someone who is experienced in such matters.
And this journey to the truth of you, is perhaps, the most fascinating, exciting and important journeys of your life.
It’s a journey out of your disease of meaning into the light or your true nature and your true identity.
Not the identity that was given to you by others or brainwashed into you by a career path and then reinforced by a thousand materialistic possessions and a massive pile of cash.
This journey will take you into the deepest recesses of your mind; to the heart of your relationship with yourself, and everyone else in your life. It will clarify why you have good days and bad days. It will help you make sense of your life and the choices you’ve made, conscious and unconscious.
It can liberate you from the lost, loneliness that may be gripping you and many of your colleagues. It can reinvigorate your entire existence.
If you want to know:
- WHY you are here
- WHY you exist.
- WHY you ended up doing what you’re doing
- WHY you struggle to answer the question: ”why?”
- WHY most of your colleagues also don’t know their WHY
- And WHY I’m offering to help you (it won’t be what you assume)
Just reach out, I’ll be delighted to be your companion to the heart of who you are.