Conscious Capitalism Pillar #1: Higher Purpose
In the dynamic landscape of Conscious Capitalism, the concept of higher purpose can be seen as a North Star that shapes businesses. So, if you bring this into your personal life, that means a higher purpose can determine where your life goes, shaping your conscious persona within the world. The purpose you have within you is going to dictate what your personal stakeholder model looks like, your personal culture, and how you apply your leadership attributes to execute your higher purpose.
How to craft your personal higher purpose
Conscious Capitalism's declared higher purpose is elevating humanity through the power of business. In order to take that philosophy and build your own higher purpose, you have to understand what serves you. What is your North Star? What drives you in the world? What are you passionate about?
Let’s go through two examples of higher purpose statements. The first is from Oprah Winfrey. Her higher purpose is to be a teacher who is known more for inspiring her students to be more than they think they can be. CEO of Virgin Airlines Richard Branson wants to have fun in his journey through life and learn from his mistakes. This purpose statement is very distinct, rolls off the tongue, and truly defines him. That is what you want to do with your own statement.
Your language should be authentic and not vague, stemming from your soul and mind. Let it reflect who you are today, but also your aspirations in life. When I look inside myself to find my purpose statement, I have found it is to nurture dreams, create shared success, and build lifelong memories. So, that is my personal purpose statement. Make sure to use your own language when crafting it. You don’t want to stumble over the jargon that you think makes a good statement but is not genuine to you.
Bringing your personal purpose into professional life
It may seem scary at first to intertwine your personal higher purpose with work, but it really is insightful. If you feel adrift in your place of business, there is a strong possibility that your personal purpose is not aligned with your work.
When I look at how I tie my personal purpose to work, it's through creating shared success and making it more public. It’s about building awareness about the company, nurturing Improvers’ and clients’ dreams alike, and getting a deeper understanding of conscious capitalism from a business orientation. It’s a wonderful feeling to integrate what I am passionate about into my career.
What I have found is that I’m at my happiest when my higher purpose and my work are integrated. You may have attempted to find the concept of work/life balance is tough to achieve, and I find that most people may not be actually looking for that. Work/life integration through the alignment of purpose and values is really what people are looking for in order to not feel burnt out or dispassionate.
The journey of finding your personal higher purpose may not be a quick or easy one, but the rewards are vast. It can pave the way for a life that integrates passion, values, and even work. Want to learn more about conscious capitalism and how you can integrate it into your life or work? Contact us here.
