Success Isn’t Enough. What’s Your Purpose? (#259)
The Confident Leader
BOOST YOUR LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
“As a leader, I’m winning the game,” said one CEO in a recent coaching session. “But deep down, something feels…off.
I find myself asking ‘why am I doing all of this?’
I want my work to mean something.”
“When you’re surrounded by success but disconnected from meaning, it’s not a win—it’s a warning.” – Robin Pou
This Week’s Edition
A paycheck? A title? A LinkedIn bio? It’s not enough anymore. If we are honest, it never was enough.
Leaders often find themselves at a crossroads:
I don’t want to quit—but I don’t want to coast either.
Clarify Your Thinking
Purpose is the force behind performance.
But many high-achievers end up stuck. They’re doing everything right—but feeling as if something is off.
According to a study by McKinsey, 70% of people define their purpose through work—but only 15% actually feel they’re living it.
If that’s you, welcome to the club. The good news: you’re awakening to a whole new possibility.
You don’t need to abandon success. You just need to anchor it to something deeper – reconnecting with why this work matters to you, your team, and your life.
Old Thinking:
If I keep succeeding, I am sure the true meaning of why I am doing this will automatically show up.
New Thinking:
Meaning isn’t a byproduct of performance. It’s the fuel for it.
Thoughts Lead to Actions
Here’s how to reconnect to purpose without having to change jobs or upend your life:
➤ Define Your Drivers
What lights you up? What breaks your heart? What impact matters to you?
➤ Reclaim Your “Why” Out Loud
Define your purpose and share it with someone you trust. Let it guide your decisions.
➤ Audit Your Alignment
Where is your current role serving your purpose—and where is it silencing it?
➤ Make One Brave Shift
Add one purpose-aligned action to your week. Share that with your accountability partner.
Purpose isn’t found all at once. It’s built—one aligned decision at a time.
Without it, even big wins feel small.
With it, even small efforts feel worth it.
Boost Your Performance
This week’s video shows how one executive traded burnout for alignment—and how rediscovering purpose changed how she worked, led, and lived.
What’s Your Opinion?
What’s one deeper reason you still show up every day? I’d love to hear it: robin.pou@robinpou.com.
If you are going to be a leader, you might as well be a good one. Don’t let doubt count you out. Have a confident week!
Robin Pou, Chief Advisor and Strategist
We live to make bad leadership extinct so forward this newsletter to others who strive to be confident leaders.
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What is “The Confident Leader”?
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I began a video series called “Panic or Plan?” It was designed to equip leaders to navigate the doubt they experienced and to rise in the confidence they needed to lead during turbulent times. It took off. I then started this newsletter to equip leaders in the same fashion each week for the doubt that crashes across the bow of their leaderSHIP.
