What Is Your Purpose? Leadership Lessons from a Seasoned Executive

One of the first questions people often ask when meeting someone is “What do you do for a living?” Then, the conversation typically moves to “What is your title/role?” We live in a society where our title or position really matters, beyond the conversational element, and we can feel pressured to set this as our primary reference point in life. Life is always full of changes, and sometimes our titles need to shift as we move closer to our core purpose over the longer term.

While on Earth, Jesus was very clear on his purpose and was able to describe his role in two words, “I AM.” The mission/purpose he communicated was undeniably impactful and provided a very long-term view. As imperfect humans, knowing our purpose is not always as clear. Here are two lessons that I learned from my 40-year career journey as I searched for my purpose in my life and work.

1. Career Paths are Rarely a Straight Line of Upward Movement in One Function

Upon finishing undergrad, I began a role in finance (which was my major) believing this was the natural career path. I quickly learned that I had a stronger desire to be in a customer-facing role being responsible for the business results versus performing a staff function. I needed more skills. This led me to get my MBA, where I learned about the pharmaceutical industry and business which I was working in. During this time, I had candid conversations with different leaders about my desires and asked them to teach me the business and coach me along the way. Thankfully, I had many trusted mentors over the years who were willing to take a chance on me.

My career moves were not always vertical – I worked in many different job functions, moved abroad with my family, and at times chose to leave companies I enjoyed in order to join a different one to expand my learning. These moves required taking risks. Looking back, I now see how it all fit together and aligned with my professional career purpose, but in the beginning and sometimes along the way, it was less clear. I was able to achieve the professional titles and roles I desired – division controller, marketing director, VP, SVP, EVP, GM, CCO, and others – but the journey along the way, the people I worked with, and experiencing different cultures are what I am most grateful for.

2. Life Is Filled with Interruptions Along the Way That Serve to Define You

2020 will be punctuated as the year with a massive global interruption, the COVID-19 pandemic. We certainly pray the consequences remain on the decline. This interruption was at the global scale, however, interruptions can be just as impactful at a personal level, challenging you at the core of what your most meaningful title and purpose are. These interruptions can be negative, like COVID or the health challenges of a child or aging parents, and positive, like the birth of your children and grandchildren or a new job opportunity. These negative and positive interruptions are a part of life and will challenge you, but at the end of the day, they often guide you to the titles and roles that most define you: Husband, Wife, Dad, Mom, Grandfather, Grandmother, Brother, Sister, Caregiver, Pastor, or others.

It is possible to achieve the titles and purpose you most dream about – though it will not always be easy and will likely not be a straight or vertical line. If you face challenges as you identify and work towards your purpose, it can be helpful to have candid and confidential discussions with someone who has an outside perspective. Our team at The Center Consulting Group is an excellent resource for dialogue, support, and guidance. Wishing you great success!

Contact us to learn how our experienced consultants can assist you in defining your purpose and working towards your desired roles.

Mark Salyer, MBA, CPA is a Senior Consultant at The Center Consulting Group and has a distinguished 35 year career as a business leader in start-up to large scale corporations in the US and abroad. While serving in the pharmaceutical and biotech segment, he was privileged to lead several of the industry’s leading brands and business units around the globe. Mark offers broad expertise in leadership, teamwork, strategic, operational and financial planning, marketing, sales, business development, public relations and investor relations. Mark has a B.S. in Accounting from Virginia Tech - The Pamplin School of Business, a M.B.A. from Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business, and is a CPA.