What’s your why, your purpose, your organization’s purpose, do they match, and how do they show up in your work and your decision making? Are you so committed to your Why that you are burning out? I coach leaders and coaches to clarify their why and how it aligns with organizational purpose and shows up in their work, with an eye out for burnout especially with nonprofit leadership. When we are clear about our purpose, vision and values, decision making (and life) becomes easier.
I was delighted when a coach called me recently to inquire about our Culturally Intelligent Mentor Coaching + Certificate program, asking about my why. We discovered our aligned “why” of unlocking ALL potential so all can live in prosperity and peace. He registered for our program!
Saying yes to being part of the EthicalCoach Ethiopia Leadership Coaching Summit Global Coaching Team as well as coaching United Nations and other organizations’ leaders and teams has been easy for me based on our shared purpose, vision and values. My Cultural Intelligence was crucial in my selection for both the United Nations and EthicalCoach (now Coaching.com) programs, is expected in our diverse, global work not only by ICF but also by 90% of leading executives from 68 countries, as well as being a frequent podcast and interview topic.
What’s your why? My vision is for all to have the opportunity to live up to their full potential, to be prosperous, to live in peace.
Prosperity goes beyond simply financial to flourishing, thriving, a sense of ease and abundance. Beyond the individual, “In a society where there is prosperity, people can live in peace and tap into their full potential, ” quoting a coach in our Coaching Think Tank Group.
When I speak of peace, it goes beyond lack of war or destructive outer conflict to an inner peace that comes with living a life that is true to values and vision. When we are not living from our vision and values we are out of integrity, producing inner conflict and lack of peace within ourselves. Peace also conveys a harmony that comes with oneness or unity with others and spiritually.
The EthicalCoach Ethiopia Summit marked the first step towards fulfilling the EthicalCoach goal of helping 64 million children worldwide over the next 10 years to thrive, to reach their full potential.
What’s your why? The mission of EthicalCoach is to “link world class coaches with leaders of NGOs tackling serious environmental and humanitarian challenges.” The Ethiopian Summit is just the beginning, starting with the largest coaching event ever to be held on the African continent, with 400 NGO leaders participating. The aim? To empower NGOs with the skills and coaching support to maximize the impact they already have on their local communities.
The initiative also fits with my value of sustainability, with the 12 month follow up coaching to implement new perspectives and development for further capacity, with our global coach team partnering with local coaches for maximum success.
Fortunately, most of the nonprofit (NGO) leaders I coach values and vision align beautifully with their organization’s. In that case, in coaching we keep an eye on time spent on the organization and how that impacts the leader’s and organization’s energy.
A leader who gives their all to the cause, especially while not developing others so they can step up, burns out. When this happens, they not only lose their effectiveness but their staff feels they must match the number of hours the leader is committing and their staff also becomes at risk for burnout.
This alignment is not always as clear in corporations. Some corporate leaders are not as clear about “what’s your why” or the corporation’s values and how those are acted on, and this becomes a coaching starting point.
What’s your why? How is it showing up in your decision making? Your work? How is it aligned with your organization? How does Cultural Intelligence factor into selection? I look forward to hearing from you!
I am thankful to be working on a licensing agreement for my Culturally Intelligent body of work with a Conscious Capitalism attorney who starts with integrating vision, mission and values to craft a clear, friendly rather than legalese document.
To our potential, prosperity and peace-we are in this together!
Till next week,
Marilyn O’Hearne, MSW, MCC, LLC
Leaders, what’s your why and how is supporting your organization’s purpose and making decision making easier? Apply for your Unlock Your Potential strategy session to discover how to cut through the uncertainty of rapid change to get to your maximum impact.
CQ Master Certified Coach, International Coach Federation
www.marilynoh.com marilyn@
