This book excerpt is from “The Next Generation of Women Leaders: What You Need to Lead but Won’t Learn in Business School ” a brand new book by Selena Rezvani (Published December 31, 2009, Praeger publishing).
WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?
Many times we impose limits on ourselves professionally without giving ourselves a chance to dream of what we really want. Purpose can emanate from your personal, professional, emotional, or spiritual side—or exist in combination. If you can understand and identify your sense of purpose, finding the right job will be much easier work. Cuc T. Vu, Chief Diversity Officer at Human Rights Campaign, was particularly passionate about this point when I interviewed her. She recommended, “Clarify your purpose and let everything else emanate from that. . . .Walk through the world as your complete self . . . find out what moves you!”
Sometimes a thought-provoking question is all it takes to help you dispel ambiguity and see things clearly. Consider the following questions as a way to answer the question, “What is your purpose?”
• If you had unlimited power, how would you use it?
• What did you love doing as a child?
• What do you love to do in your free time?
• When do people ask you for help?
• What is the single biggest barrier preventing you from leading?
• How would your professional biography read if you had the perfect career?
• When you get compliments at work, which ones are the most satisfying to hear?
• If money were not an issue, what kind of job would you pursue?
• What skills have always come easily to you?
• Is there a job you love so much that you would do it for free?
• Think about a time when you were happiest and most effective in a job. What were you doing?
• If you were on the cover of Time magazine, what would the cover caption say?
• What work activities have you engaged in where time seems to fly?
• Is your career a runaway success? If not, why?
More than just a “nice-to-have,” passion and purpose have the effect of making us more persistent and tenacious in our careers, and subsequently more successful. Taking the time to position yourself for a career with meaning is a worthy investment of your time; it will reflect on you positively as an employee and simultaneously feed you personally.
About the Author:
Selena Rezvani serves as the president of NextGenWomen, LLC. Her goal is to propel more women into the top echelons of businesses — an objective she achieves through her writing, consulting, and speaking engagements. Selena wrote her debut book, The Next Generation of Women Leaders: What You Need to Lead but Won’t Learn in Business School (Praeger, 2009) while pursuing her MBA at Johns Hopkins University, where she graduated first in her class. Selena also holds an MSW from New York University. For more information, please visit: www.nextgenwomen.com.
Note from Heidi Richards Mooney, Publisher ~ WE magazine for Women : I was so impressed with this book that I passed it on to my youngest daughter a leader in her company. I know it will help her advance rapidly and with class and credibility. It is a definite MUST READ for women moving up and women who would like insight into how to develop our next generation of women leaders. Get your copy at AMAZON today!
