Summary: In this article, I want to share my personal journey of discovering the true meaning of being a purposeful leader. Throughout my journey, I have come to realize the importance of being authentic as a leader and how it requires self-awareness and emotional intelligence. I learned that becoming an integrated person and discovering my own values and higher-order motives helped me to become more self-aware and navigate the complexities of my role effectively. I also want to highlight how the journey towards authenticity is a stepping stone towards finding one's true purpose and becoming a purposeful leader.
As a leader, I've always been drawn to the topic of purposeful leadership because I struggled for a long time to find my own purpose in life. But through that journey, I discovered the true meaning of what it means to be a purposeful leader.
As far as I am concerned, being a purposeful leader starts with being authentic. Authenticity is often forgotten when we're searching for our purpose in life because we haven't even figured out who we truly are yet. And being authentic means being yourself, not putting on a mask or pretending to be someone you're not. But it also requires self-awareness and emotional intelligence. If you're not self-aware, your authenticity can work against you and make you less effective as a leader.
To become an authentic leader, I had to peel back the layers and understand why I am the way I am and what motivates me. This required introspection and a deep understanding of myself. And once I understood myself, it was important to be aware of how others perceived me. Perception often becomes reality, and especially as a leader, I needed to know how I was being perceived so I could navigate the complexities of my role effectively.
Being authentic for me started with becoming integrated. There was once a period when I had a different personality when I was at home compared to the person I was at work. But I went through a journey of becoming an integrated person, where I became the same person at home and at work. I used to think that as a leader, I needed to be tough and put on a face and character at work, but I soon realized that being myself was enough to earn respect. And that realization was a key moment in my journey to authenticity.
But, becoming integrated didn't necessarily mean that I was being completely authentic. I was just being me, but I wasn't considering others' feelings or being as considerate as I could be as a leader. But during my Executive MBA program, I was fortunate enough to go on a journey where I discovered my values and why I am the way I am. To clearly perceive what I am and how I respond to difficult situations and what motivates me at a deeply meaningful level and strategic level, I went through the pivotal moments of my life since birth and unpacked the story of my life. This process assisted me to identify my own higher-order motives and life themes that are consistent throughout my life which led to a deeper understanding of who I am at the core.
I learned that I needed to be open to other people's views and develop objectivity as a leader. I had to learn how to be open to the possibilities that lie beneath my judgements and values. I had to develop emotional intelligence to navigate being in the leadership role while still being true to myself and not putting others in discomfort in the process. Further, I had to learn to focus on myself more to improve my focus on others by embracing self-leadership strategies. I have learned to value and speak my feelings more as much as I value those of others to optimize my personality weaknesses. I needed to allow some ambiguity for the ‘Anchor’ within me and challenge the process often so that I can further develop the ‘Pioneer’ inside me.
During my journey to authenticity, I discovered that being authentic is not just about being true to myself, but it's also a stepping stone towards finding my true purpose. As I became more self-aware, integrated, and authentic as a leader and as a person, I was able to embark on my journey to find my purpose. This journey has been instrumental in shaping my leadership style and has been one of the most defining moments in my life.
My journey to authenticity has been a long and winding road, but it's taught me so much about myself, others, and what it means to be a purposeful leader. I hope that my journey can inspire you to find your own path to authenticity and purposeful leadership.
Naveen Maram
Driven to inspire the next-gen.
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