In Your Power

CHAPTER 6Purpose: From Your Small Game to Your Big Game

“The only way to make your present better is by making your future bigger.”

—Dan Sullivan, Entrepreneur Coach

Your purpose gives you power. We all feel the most alive and in our flow when we are aligned with our purpose. It helps you transcend the drama of the moment and take the action that is most aligned with who you want to be in the long term. It makes you feel good and right in who you are.

Your purpose is what you are here for, whether in the moment or for your life. You may have multiple purposes: to be a role model for your children, to grow those on your team, to bring creative solutions to problems, to leave generational wealth, and/or to have as much fun as possible. In any given meeting or project you might also have an overarching purpose above your specific functional role, such as to lead inclusively.

Too often we find ourselves losing sight of our purpose in our daily routine. The moment‐to‐moment demands of our insanely full to‐do lists can grab all of our attention, and then simply getting through the day becomes our purpose. But emotional overload is not the only thief, we can derail ourselves from acting in the service of our own purpose.

Playing Your Small Game versus Your Big Game

When I said no to the White House, I put myself out of my power. It had nothing to do with what Tipper Gore or her Chief of Staff said. I had an internal picture in my mind of who I thought I should be and what I should ...