Have you ever felt a sense of unclarity?
Do you know exactly what you believe in?
What matters most to you?
What agitates you the most?
These are all questions I have asked myself or felt. When I took the time to answer these questions then I became so clear on my conviction. When I speak of the term conviction, I mean a firm belief in something. For me, I have a strong belief that leaders lead from their personal core values. Also, I have a conviction that organizations are born from the founder’s conviction that led them to start the organization.
Here are examples of founders’ conviction (belief) turned into starting an organization.
“Bill Gates founded Microsoft to make computers and software more accessible to everyone. Gates’s passion for computing began at an early age, and he wanted to create a future where computers were used in homes and businesses, not just by large corporations.”
“Ariel Investments was founded by John W. Rogers Jr. with the goal of pursuing his passion for identifying and investing in undervalued, high-quality small and medium-sized companies…”
“Southwest Airlines was founded to provide low-cost, reliable, and friendly air travel. It was created by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King who wanted to connect Texas cities like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.”
Each of the above organizations’ founders had a conviction, which determined their cause. Also, their conviction solved a problem or met a need. Therefore, their organization became extremely successful. Do not make a common mistake by setting out to make money but rather have a desire to make a difference which leads to a conviction that will determine your cause. Dr. Dharius Daniels states in his book Your Purpose is Calling that “the problems that agitate you most are more than likely the problems you were created to solve.” The question then agitates you? For me it is leaders that do not understand that leadership matters. It matters when it comes to the type of culture they produce, how they determine decisions, if they value people, how they interact with people, if they empower others, having a transformative vision, an ability to inspire others to rally behind a vision, their effectiveness to communicate, building trusting relationships, creating teams that are congruent around a common cause, navigating challenges, taking risks, being nimble and learning to adjust, and the list goes on but it all starts with the leadership.
Below are three questions that can assist you to determine your conviction:
- What agitates you?
- What are you passionate about?
- What matters to you most?
In conclusion, take time to answer these questions and think about how you want to live a life of significance. When you do that, you will live a fulfilled life, and your leadership will be admired and you will leave an indelible mark for generations to come. It is time to stop leading in the dark and determine your conviction.
If you need assistance or support feel free to reach out to E3 Leadership Institute, (www.e3leadershipinstitute.com) we are here to serve you. Inspiring leaders to lead with purpose and passion!
References:
Your Purpose is Your Calling by Dr. Dharius Daniels