Sarah Godfrey, Jan 2021

So, what now?

It seems as I look out my window at a misty Melbourne morning that even summer feels uncertain and the hot weather waiting is apprehensive and unsure it should go-ahead. Much as we all are, as we leave 2020 and look towards 2021.

What next? Many things seem unpredictable, unstable and unforeseeable. Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, once said, “Life is Flux,” or the more modern interpretation, “Change is the only constant.” Whether it is the unexpected ups and downs of our everyday lives or the normal chaos of the human experience, what 2020 taught us is discord is the new black and we need to be ready.

Finding stability in unstable times is no small ask. The belief we have some real control over our lives has been fractured, if not shattered in the last year. Our utter humanness has exposed our incredible vulnerability and resilience, as individuals, in our workplaces and beyond. Despite this it is in our nature to need some form of equilibrium or understanding in order to function.

Purpose values can provide us with a link to building stronger resilience with which to grow and recover. As Shaefer & Co noted in their research, during times of crisis, ‘individual purpose can be a guidepost that helps people face up to uncertainties and navigate them better, and thus mitigate the damaging effects of long-term stress. People who have a strong sense of purpose tend to be more resilient and exhibit better recovery from negative events.’ (Purpose in Life).

Our resolve and intention to set a goal, move forward, cope or to process the meaning of events, creates a form of certainty in otherwise uncertain times. In my book Life Works When, Purpose is one of the five pieces of the puzzle to find Happiness. The unhappy Mo realizes he had been ‘drifting without purpose for too long [and] had not built resources or direction to help him through the hard times.’ (Life Works When)

The Purpose of Life is a Life of Purpose.

Robert Bryne said it best, the purpose of life is a life of purpose, but what is a life of purpose? 'Sometimes the goals we gravitate towards aren’t right for us. Or worse some purposeful objectives might be chosen for motivational wants defined by greed, envy and false illusions of happiness, rather than our true needs. Other times our purpose is linked to our developmental age and stage of life. When this happens, we can forget to adjust and adapt our goals to growing up, life experiences and getting older’ and as we now understand, in global crises.

‘The issue is we all need some kind of destination to push us forward and excite us to master and work towards endeavors that will be meaningful in some way. In turn, we get a sense of where we are going and why. Purpose is individual and intrinsic to our needs and wants. Having a sense of purpose gives us a balanced meaning to our existence. It allows us to allocate time and resources to goals and dreams. And dreams create passion and energy. We all need to be excited about something, no matter if that drive is to feel better, care for our well-being, imagine a better life or to invent something truly amazing. Purpose is passion. And a life without passion is an empty vision.’ (Article on Purpose)

With great disruption, as we have experienced in 2020, we can easily loose sense of ourselves and believe the direction we were travelling in is no longer relevant. But that is wrong. Purpose, in its simplest form, can improve relationships, emotional well-being, increase longevity and benefit workplaces. In fact, ‘creating strong links to an individual purpose benefits individuals and companies alike—and could be vital in managing the postpandemic uncertainties that lie ahead.’ (Purpose in crisis).

We should be encouraging senior management and c-suite teams to be mindful of what our employees need and attach purpose to, as we move towards the next new normal post COVID-19. Research has indicated that purpose can be an ‘important contributor to employee experience, which in turn is linked to higher levels of employee engagement, stronger organizational commitment, and increased feelings of well-being.’ (Purpose in crisis)

The Archetypes of Purpose.

Just having purpose is not, however, an easy pathway out of discord. The value around our purpose sets the agenda for success or failure in our workplaces. It is the learning to install a sense of purpose in ourselves, teams and organisations that is the direction we are looking for in 2021.

Let’s look at our value sets to start with because this can determine or orientate our type of purpose. For example, if you have a personal value of belonging, then professionally team development, loyalty and recognition may direct your purpose. It is what connects you with what you do and need. As leaders, our purpose is more meaningful as it shapes the culture of organisations, the connectivity of management and the productivity of employees.

A survey by the McKinsey Report (Purpose in crisis) looked into types of purpose we rate connected to our values. Analysing nine characteristics of purpose they defined three types of purpose archetypes, the ‘Freespirits, Achievers and Caregivers.’

 

Freespirits.

Freespirits value autonomy and respect tradition. They find meaning in situations where they can control what they do and when or how they do it. They thrive working independently and enjoy ‘stress testing’ ideas with others, goals are selected with consideration of family and cultures. Purpose blockers for Freespirits are being micromanaged, inflexibility, censorship and pressure to go against well-established practices.

Knowing if your employee gravitates towards the Freespirit type of purpose allows organisations to enhance autonomy and understand the importance of tradition and culture to these types. They find purpose in freedom within a framework.

Achievers.

Achievers, on the other hand, find their purpose in accumulating social or material resources. They find purpose in self-improvement. Achievers will need opportunities to increase earnings and status and look for fun and excitement in their tasks. They like to be the authority on topics and impress others. Their purpose blockers are if they are made to feel invisible, lack influence and become out of sync with the culture. Achievers have a fear of failure that leads to humiliation.

Leaders of achievers need to balance the purpose with the job role. Recognition is important, as is being seen and acknowledge by the group or team. Beneath this is the apprehension that failure, particular public failure will have on their well-being. Ensuring the job is varied, purpose fit for their skill level and developing professional development to succeed and challenge them, can keep an achiever satisfied and growing.

Caregivers.

The third type of purpose archetype is the Caregiver. Caregivers find purpose in selecting how and when they look after others. They are less interested in material gain or the opinion of others. Caregivers find their purpose in mentoring and supporting others in the team. They seek work-life balance, security and order. Their purpose blockers happen when they are pulled away from the team or family and friends. Isolation is not helpful in a work environment and they may struggle with any uncertainty or disorder.

Leaders can enhance the Caregiver purpose by investing in training for mentorship and providing a role that anchors them in team leadership, cultural management or workplace well-being, particularly if they are required to work off site or at home. Understanding the need for balance is important and consideration to the fact that people not performance, drives their meaning. Preparing them for options will reduce their anxiety.

These purpose archetypes can assist supporting and guiding your employees and teams forward, helping management and organisations rethink needs and offer leadership insight to plan for the post COVID business and operational future. A Caregiver leader needs an Achiever and Freespirit in their team to create balance and challenge. An Achiever CEO needs to reflect on the worth and purpose of the Caregiver and Freespirit in the C-Suite team.

Purpose as a measurable determinant of well-being in workplaces is a new, untested path forward and the research by the McKinsey report is a step towards understanding the importance of values as intrinsic to purpose and success. It challenges us to see ourselves and those around us, through a different lens.

The ‘so, what now’ question has started to find an answer. Look beyond profit margins and into people purpose. Find out who your leaders, employees and consumers are and what is their purpose. Define the meaning framework in each job and enhance the archetypal links to improve performance. One thing we do know for certain is Heraclitus was right. A life in flux is what we have, and if we find our purpose, it can be the impetus for great change, growth and prosperity.

 

 

 

 

Leon at 14
leon

I met Leon in 2017 and immediately was impressed. This dude was 20 years old, had turned up, paying his own way, on his own reconnaissance because he knew something was wrong. Tall, lean, with messy dark hair he sat down in front of me. He had quiet confidence that resonated in the room. A measured approach to his thinking, beyond his years, and an upright honesty that was refreshing. He needed to get back to tennis. He needed to prove to himself he had it. He wanted to work out where everything had gone wrong. I asked him his goal. It was simple. I want to have a ranking again. That would be enough.

Leon was a teen prodigy by the age of 14. He was ranked as the number one player in Australia for his age group and was 119 in the overall national rankings. He competed in the finals of the prestigious Nike Junior Tour International Masters event held in Florida, won five titles in Europe (including an Under 16’s European Tennis Association event) and reached the final of the Villas Trophy in Majorca.

But he was not from the typical tennis family. They were not wealthy. They were not connected to the tennis world. Leon was just bloody good at what he did. I often think if he had more support around him, how different his path would’ve been, but then maybe, how different a player he may have ended up.

Leon was on his way. An elite athlete with a hell of a future ahead of him. He had the buzz around him that champions get, as they reach that moment that jettisons them into the stratosphere. Like many other young athletes, his life had been centred on achieving and climbing up that competitive ladder. The uplift was he was doing incredibly well. The down side was he had to sacrifice school, socialising and relationships in order to get there.

Just as so many highly skilled people will tell you, getting to the top in sports is part raw talent, part grunt and pure dedication and part luck. He could control his career, but he couldn’t control the events outside of it. Personal problems and family conflicts became a huge distraction. Trauma hit the family and Leon reeled from the impact. His coping skills that were linked to high performance determination, failed to sustain him emotionally. What little support he had dropped off. Everyone wants a ride on the rising star and are quick to jump off when it is falling.

In life, we come across moments where the path we are on can diverge. On one hand we can keep pushing and working on the long hard way ahead. On the other hand, life events knock us off that path and we stumble into an unknown emotional landscape.

Leon went from Australian’s best and brightest young tennis player to an adolescent fast losing his way. By the time he plonked down on my couch, he was coaching tennis and struggling to get his game back. He had begun to turn back to the path he liked best, a professional elite athlete who had purpose and a gift. On his own he had the courage and willpower to make big changes in coaches, lifestyle and his self-defeating habits. But it was not enough.

I knew listening to him, underneath the self-doubt, self-disappointment and fear he had missed the moment of a lifetime, Leon was ready. He has tried everything to get his game on, and yet the mental edge escaped him. His identity had blurred, and he was struggling to connect with the prodigy boy who had so much hope. Anger and anxiety had the reigns on his thinking. On the court he would lose focus, get distracted and let his negative emotions control him rather then use them to supercharge his talent. His mindset was constantly being interrupted by hurt and frustration. The anger became his opponent, not the player across the net.

Leon told me a story of tragedy, personal trauma and defeat. What I saw was a young man with incredible skill, mental fortitude, ambition, and resilience. His passion for the game and inner insight worked to help him master his mental hurdles. I was inspired to dig in and help him to commit to his goals. His strengths were his vulnerabilities. He was reserved, honest, empathic and in sharp contrast to the players on the circuit around his age, these attributes gave him his unique edge. He was a person that brands could back and know they would get the real deal. He wanted it and was prepared to do anything to get back to the game.

And man, did he commit.

With the focus of a trained athlete listening to his coach, he took on board the discussions and strategies we talked about. He questioned when he didn’t get it and challenged when he needed to link what I was saying with his purpose. He used his own creative ideas to expand the narratives and work them.

Leon picked up his emotional tennis racket and started serving mental aces. He practiced cognitive restructuring, used our other strategies to pinpoint his focus and shut out the noise in his head. He practised a brave mind, like he practised at the nets. Every day, unrelentingly. We talked about the days it did not work and the days he simply nailed it. The self-doubt started to be replaced with true belief he still had it.

And then it happened.

He was playing like a gun. He got the mindset of a winner. He walked on court and knew he was as good as the dude looking back at him. He flipped anger into energy and his mind was a shield, refusing to be distracted by a punitive inner critic. More than that, he was loving playing again. It was fun. It was hard work. He was doing it. And even when he lost a match his attitude was outstanding. It was ‘what I can do better next time’ rather than ‘what I did wrong this time’. Leon was back. Better and more focused.

In 2018 Leon travelled across the globe playing his best. I sat in my office mentally cheering him on, always pumped to get a message or footage of him doing what he does. Get out on the court and have fun. It was exciting to see his mental fortitude build with every game. The 14-year-old champion was back, with the determination and maturity of an adult. Leon had his ranking again. Goal achieved

In 2019 after an incredible comeback year he had a hip injury that took him out. Disappointed, he didn’t give up. He worked at the physio, kept his mind in check and got ready for the next year. It was a hard year. The momentum had been building and then gone. He had pushed his body too hard and not invested in self-care. So, many lessons to learn on his own, with so little support. He was back to the beginning. No ranking and a hard climb back to the top.

In 2020 he won his first three matches against ranked players, before the COVID-19 made the world grind to a standstill. Yesterday, he sent me a video of practicing on the clay. He has always done that. No matter where he is in the world. Keeps me in the loop. There he was. Giving it 100, digging in and driving his game forward as best as he can in the current climate. It was inspiring and I felt honoured he was letting me know, ‘still doing what I need to do, Sarah.’

I thought on how motivating he was as an athlete and as a human being who had faced both success and adversity so young, yet he’d managed to thrive, coming out the other end of the hard times. How he took it on himself to seek help and guidance. We talked a lot about Roger Federer’s open-hearted discussions on using the mental edge to win, but also to bring you back from losing. When I asked him how he felt about me writing about his story, he answered in true Leon style.

‘Yeh, no worries Sarah, if it helps anyone, an athlete in the future. I’d be very happy. I’m not afraid that anyone knows I got help. It takes real courage.’

Seriously, now that’s the words of a true champion, amazing human being and brave mind. I am immensely proud to have been a small part in his achievements. Leon has taught me how true mental strength, honesty and integrity can achieve any dream. He did not have the backing and riches to give him an edge or to fund his support. Particularly when times got tough. Just talent. He is still at it. He doesn’t know the meaning of give up or give in.

My message? Sponsors, coaches and managers, get behind him. He is the embodiment of the sports stars we need. Our young athletes are looking for this kind of role model. Totally talented, empathic, rational and driven to succeed beyond all hurdles placed in front of them. Thank you, Leon, for letting me share your skills, courage and mental strength.

 

PHOTO : Socrates (Leon) Tsoronis at age 14 and age 21