CEO Chronicles # 42 : Purpose + Performance = Power!

The Power Of Purpose

During the 1940s, Viktor E. Frankl, Austrian psychiatrist and author, was held prisoner in Nazi concentration camps. With all the agony and brutality, what kept Frankl from giving up his relentless fight for his life was purpose.

Dr. Frankl sought and found meaning in his struggle, and that gave him the power to survive unimaginable indignity and pain.

In his book, “Man’s Search for Meaning”, Dr. Frankl sums up his philosophy on how people were able to survive the camps, without losing the will to live.

“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”

Why Is Purpose Necessary?

First, purpose gives us hope. And hope gives us well-being. Hope gives us an increased ability to cope with change and disruption, enhancing our resilience and increasing our happiness.

Second, purpose enhances our self-esteem. Our self-confidence increases. We feel a sense of competence and achievement, and an enhanced ability to deal with difficulties and challenges.

Third, purpose is closely linked to ‘flow’ — the state of intense absorption in which we forget our surroundings and ourselves. A strong sense of purpose leads to more frequent experiences of flow. Flow is a powerful source of well-being. The more flow we experience, the happier we feel. (Please see Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness | TED Talk)

Fourth, purpose makes us less vulnerable to ‘psychological discord.’ This is the fundamental sense of unease we often experience, manifesting itself in boredom, anxiety, and depression. By focusing our attention and giving us a channel for our mental and emotional energies, purpose aligns thought, feeling and action, leading to a sense of ‘wholeness’.

Finally, having a purpose makes us less self-centered. We feel a part of something bigger, something outside ourselves, and this makes us less focused on our own worries and anxieties. So, our sense of well-being increases.

But, most of all, purpose gives us power.

Power over ourselves, our minds, our thoughts, our actions.

The power to aim for and to achieve more.

The power to contribute and create value.

Flashback # 1

She stood in her corner office. It was huge. Her desk was larger than most beds.

She walked to the wrap-around windows and gazed out at the cityscape. What an amazing view! She could see the faint outline of the hills far into the distance.

She had arrived. CEO of a billion-dollar group! Her lips curved into an involuntary smile.

Thank God for Subra, her mentor and boss from 15 years ago.

“Discover your purpose,” he had said.

“When you are clear about what drives you, about who you are, about what you really want, you will operate at full capacity, and you will achieve your potential,” he had reiterated.

“Once you know your purpose, you can align your performance with it, and you will become unstoppable,” he had advised.

So, she had done so. She had delved deep into herself and discovered her purpose.

“Build an engaged and happy workplace and inspire the motivated team to create success.”

She had lived this purpose for 15 years.

In doing so, she had found hope, optimism, happiness, well-being and untold joy.

Success followed her wherever she went.

Boards and bosses and teams wanted her.

Now, she stood on the pinnacle of success.

She looked at the wall at the poster with Napoleon Hill’s words,

“There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.”

The Power Of Performance

Two grains were lying side by side on the fertile soil.

The first grain said: “I want to grow up! I want to put down roots deep into the ground and sprout. And I dream to blossom and proclaim the coming of spring. I want to feel the warm rays of sun and the dew drops on my petals!”

This grain grew up and became a beautiful flower.

The second grain said: “I’m afraid. If I put down my roots into the ground, I don’t know what they will face there. If I will grow tender stems, they can be damaged by wind. And if I have flowers, they may be eaten by animals. So, I better wait for a safer time.”

As the second grain waited, a chicken that passed by pecked at and ate it.

Successful people who have attained amazing goals are not stronger, more intelligent or more fearless than you. The only difference is their self-belief and their sustained efforts in the direction of their dreams.

Why Is Performance Critical?

Nobody succeeds without hard work. Nothing spectacular comes without it. Getting organised is hard work. Setting goals, making plans to achieve them, and staying on track is hard work.

There’s only one way to the top: Performance.

Lasting success can only be achieved if you put in the work.

Stephen King once said “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”

Henry Ford similarly said, “The harder you work, the luckier you get!”

Don’t wish it were easier. Work harder.

Hard work is challenging, painful and uncomfortable. But it is the only way to the top. In fact, the key to success is to learn to enjoy challenging work and to enjoy working hard at it.

Your idols and heroes worked hard and made careful choices before they reaped the rewards of success. They performed to their full capacity.

Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times while he was working on the light bulb and yet he never dreamed of giving up – this is the hard work and the determination that marks a true success.

Picasso worked ceaselessly through his long lifetime. The total number of artworks he produced has been estimated at 50,000, comprising 1,885 paintings; 1,228 sculptures; 2,880 ceramics, roughly 12,000 drawings, many thousands of prints, and numerous tapestries and rugs.

The greater your capacity for hard work, the more rewards fall within your grasp. If you have chosen a significant purpose for your life, it is going to require hard work to get there.

If getting to the top was easy, it wouldn’t be rare.

The importance of performance is a timeless truth. Rather than fight it, run with it and greatness and extraordinary success will be yours.

Flashback # 2

She walked to the 12-seater conference table on the far side of her new office. She ran her fingers against the polished mahogany.

How many tables, she thought. How many meetings and conferences and discussions.

The first few years after she discovered her purpose were a whirlwind of learning and doing and travelling and working, often starting  as the sun rose and ending much after it set.

How much joy from each successful deal, each new customer acquired, each plan completed on time.

What an amazing, fun 15 years it has been, she thought.

She looked at the other poster behind her desk, recalling when she first read Oprah Winfrey’s words, reveling in their wisdom,

“The big secret in success is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you are willing to work.”

Purpose + Performance = Power

When clear purpose combines with focused performance, you become unstoppable.

Purpose shows you who you are and what you want. Performance plays to your strengths and achieves your goals.

Together, they give you the power to live an unlimited life.

Together, they give you the power to lead an ‘intentional life’ rather than a ‘default life’.

A life that you control. A life that you wish for.

And when you lead an intentional life, you inspire and motivate. You become a natural leader, one who is heeded, heard and followed.

Your power extends beyond yourself to the world around you. You influence and mould others. You envision and drive change.

Flashback # 3

She picked up her bag and walked to the door of her office.

I shouldn’t be late today, she thought.

She was expected at the Global Diversity Forum. She was the Guest of Honor tonight.

Time to make a difference, she thought.

Time to put my power to work.

She strode confidently to her car, as her chauffeur opened the door for her.

She smiled at him and thanked him.

Time to change the world…

The Final Goodbye

Thank you for reading my articles.

Thank you for your likes, your shares, your responses, your discussions.

It has been an amazing ride.

But the time has come to say goodbye.

As Douglas Adams wrote in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”,

“The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything is 42.”

Thus, with this 42^nd article, you have the answer.

Discover your purpose.

Perform with everything you have.

Generate the power you need to live the life you want.

This is the answer to all your questions. On happiness. About success. On satisfaction. About wealth.

Purpose + Performance = Power.

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Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 30 December 2020.