My Greatest Leadership Failure of 2016

People lose their way when they lose their why. ~Michael Hyatt

When I look back on 2016, there is one situation that stands out to me as my greatest leadership failure of the year. I know, focusing on the negative may not be an upbeat way to end the year, but it’s really important to me to do better in 2017.

In a nutshell, here’s what I consider my greatest leadership failure of 2016. I worked with a client for many months on a variety of leadership development topics only to discover that they not only didn’t have a collective purpose, they believed that a purpose was unimportant, inconsequential, and probably irrelevant.

My belief couldn’t be more different. Purpose is foundational for both an organization’s success and individual fulfillment. It’s why you exist. It goes well beyond what you do and how you do it. Here are just a few others who share this perspective.

It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture. ~Benjamin E. Mays

Make work a purpose, not just a place. ~Tom Rath

The three things that motivate creative people – autonomy, mastery, and purpose! ~Daniel Pink

We fail, not because of big problems, but because of small purposes. ~John C. Maxwell

Business purpose and business mission are so rarely given adequate thought is perhaps the most important cause of business frustration and failure. ~Peter Drucker

No matter what business you’re in, everyone in the organization needs to know why. ~Frances Hesselbein

I’m asking myself, what will I do differently in 2017? First and foremost, never assume that an organization either has a shared purpose or more importantly, even believes it matters. Defining an organization’s purpose is about authenticity, clarity, and alignment – really important attributes for every organization. I’ll more deliberately ask questions like these, suggested by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, authors of Built to Last.

  • Why does our organization’s existence matter?
  • What is our most important reason for being here? Why?
  • What would be lost if this organization ceased to exist?
  • Why are we important to the people we serve?
  • Why would anyone dedicate their precious time, energy, and passion to our organization? (Note: the answer is not money.)

What’s your organization’s why? Never a better time than the beginning of a new year to authentically answer that question and bring clarity and alignment to your organization’s purpose.