As we explore the inner layers of leadership and leadership styles, one cannot help but wonder: what is the inner engineering of leadership? What really makes a person a leader? There is a common assumption that when a person moves into a higher position, the person has become a leader. But the more we observe people in leadership, the clearer it becomes that there is much more to leadership than the title. There is something that moves the person from within, something that enables a person to rise above the position and become a greater leader.
Two people may hold the same position, have the same authority, and carry the same responsibility, yet their leadership can be very different. One may simply perform the duties of the position. The other may bring something more. There is a sense of purpose behind what the person does. That makes all the difference. Leadership, therefore, is not only about what we do. It is also about why we do what we do.
The discovery of the ‘purpose DNA’
People come into leadership for different reasons. For some, it is a job. For others, it may bring financial gain, social status, recognition, or influence. There is definitely nothing wrong with these things. But there are also people who discover something deeper. They begin to see leadership as a vocation. A position tells us what we are expected to do, but a vocation tells us why we are doing it.
When leadership is connected with a deeper purpose, it carries a different kind of energy. There is a purpose DNA that keeps the leader growing towards greatness. This is why some leaders energetically continue even when things become difficult. They may be tired, criticised, or disappointed. They may not receive much personal benefit from what they are doing. Yet they pursue the vocation because something deeper is holding them. Purpose gives leadership an energy that position alone cannot provide.
History gives us many examples. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Mother Teresa did not lead because they held powerful offices. Their leadership came from something deeper within them. Their lives were connected to a purpose that was larger than themselves. They were willing to pay a price for what they believed in.
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Great Leadership: A Road Less Traveled
But such leadership is not found only in famous personalities. If we look around us, we will find many people who carry the same inner flame. We see teachers who continue to care for their students long after their formal responsibility is over. We see doctors, social workers, parents, religious leaders, and ordinary citizens who continue to serve without expecting recognition. They may never become famous. Yet they lead. Their leadership may not make headlines, but it touches lives.
Perhaps this is where we need to broaden our understanding of leadership. Leadership does not always require a position. Sometimes it is simply the courage to live for something that one believes is worth living for.
Purpose doesn’t retire rather they age like fine wine
One thing we may have noticed in conversations with retired leaders is their statement, “I am not done yet.” They may have retired from office. They may have achieved financial security, social status, and recognition. They may have already accomplished much in their professional life. Yet they still feel that there is something more to do. Their longing is not always to have people following them. They are not necessarily looking for another title. They simply want to make life meaningful. They want to contribute. They want to accomplish something for a purpose that goes beyond fame and recognition.
If leadership is only a position, retirement becomes the end of leadership. But if leadership is a vocation, retirement may only mean a change in the form of leadership. The office may be left behind, but the purpose remains. A person who has discovered a deeper purpose does not stop leading simply because the designation has ended.
Purpose-driven leadership also creates a culture of learning. A leader who is connected with a deeper purpose does not think that he or she has all the answers. Such a leader remains curious. There is a willingness to listen, to learn from younger people, to accept mistakes, and to change when necessary.
Bill George, in his work on authentic leadership, speaks about discovering one’s “True North” – the inner compass that keeps a person connected to values and purpose. Simon Sinek, in Start with Why, also reminds us of the importance of knowing the reason behind what we do. A leader who continues to discover the “why” continues to grow as a leader. And when the leader becomes a learning person, the organisation also has a greater possibility of becoming a learning organisation. The leader's inner journey slowly becomes the organisation's journey.
When Purpose Begins to Drift
But it is very easy for a leader to drift away from the original purpose. Most of us begin with good intentions. Yet, slowly, temporary things can take over. The desire to earn more, the need for recognition, the attraction of power, or the fear of losing one's position can become stronger than the original purpose. The change does not happen in one day. It happens little by little. A leader who once wanted to serve may begin to want appreciation. A person who wanted to build an institution may slowly become more concerned about protecting personal influence. A person who wanted to make a difference may become concerned about being noticed.
This can happen to anyone. That is why leaders need to pause and ask themselves from time to time: Am I still connected with the purpose with which I began? Have I drifted away? What has become more important to me now?
This is where the image of muddy water speaks to me. When water is disturbed, we cannot see what is at the bottom. Everything becomes unclear. But when we allow the water to settle, slowly the mud goes down, and we begin to see what is beneath. Leadership can be like that. Over the years, we collect many things. We need to allow the noise to settle. We need to peel away the layers of recognition.
Keeping the Inner Flame Alive
Rumi begins his great poem Masnavi with the image of a reed flute. The reed was once rooted in the reed bed. When it was cut and separated from its source, it began to sing. Its music came from the emptiness within and from a deep longing for where it had come from.
Perhaps there is something here for leadership. What makes a person a leader is not always what we see from the outside. There is an inner element that gives a person a certain depth and resonance. Like the reed flute, a person becomes an instrument of something greater when there is an inner connection to meaning, values and purpose.
Without that inner connection, leadership can produce sound without music. It can produce activity without meaning, achievement without fulfilment, and authority without influence. But when a person is rooted in a deeper purpose, something different begins to happen. The person's actions begin to carry a certain resonance. People do not merely hear what the leader says; they begin to feel what the leader stands for.
Perhaps that is why the spiritual dimension matters in leadership. It helps us discover the deeper source from which our leadership flows. The question is “What is it that gives my life and my leadership its music?”