post

Purpose Not Role

Our culture is very sensitive to roles.  What do you do — meaning what is your title/role — is a favorite first question when meeting someone new.  The problem with categorizing people by their role is that they don’t always live up to it.

As participants in this culture of role fixation, we convince ourselves we are our role.  As such, we act in ways we believe to be in keeping with our role.  We dress the part.  We say things that someone in that role should say.  Our approach to work becomes a complex to do list of acting.  The problem with such a role-based approach is the lack of focus on real results.

If we live entirely within the scripted confines of our role, we dare not venture out into innovative behaviors that may stray from the role we believe we must uphold.  Our performance becomes stale.  The mark of success becomes whether or not we played the part successfully.

Rather than role, we should subscribe to an approach predicated on purpose.  What is my purpose? — should be the permission giving perspective that motivates us to try new strategies, implement unique approaches and see our corner of the world in a different light.

We are placed in someone’s life for a purpose.  We are assigned a difficult task for a purpose.  We are responsible for identifying the purpose we serve in every aspect of our life.  It is within that lens of purpose that we become a benefit to our organization and community.  Purpose is the core of who we are and not what we are called.  Role leads to living up to a title while purpose entails living up to a calling.  Find your purpose.