Manila, 20 November 2024 — The incorrect quote that prompts leaders to answer an existential question.

Story

It happened a century ago. Or so the story goes. Mark Twain is supposed to have written the words, "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” While research has shown that he did not actually write these words, the quote is found to be consistent with many of his writings and the wisdom of his humorous style that moved readers to reflect on their lives.

The quote started surfacing and spreading two decades ago, at a time when finding one’s purpose came to be known as an important task for us all. From research undertaken since the 2000s in the field of positive psychology, we know that discovering our purpose in life is indeed important, as is getting clear about our vision, values, and strengths. These help to answer the existential Why and How questions for our living our lives. 

Our Purpose is about Why we were born and what we will contribute to the world to create meaning and fulfillment in service of others and ourselves. Our True North, on the other hand, is a metaphor from navigation, representing one’s inner compass—the values, beliefs, and principles that guide our decisions and actions. It’s about How we can stay authentic and grounded in who we are while working to fulfill our Purpose. 

Challenge 

Among the many challenges we face as leaders, the existential ones are to answer Why we were born by getting clear on our Purpose in this life, and How we will advance on our leadership journey, and make regular course corrections, by using our True North compass. 

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, written by Bill George, a senior fellow at Harvard Business School, has become a classic for leaders exploring these existential questions. George emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, values, and authenticity in leadership. Countless leaders have already benefited from practicing George’s recommendations.

A host of other writers can also help us to answer our Why and the How questions and navigate our journey with purpose, values, and authenticity. Resources that come to mind are Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon Sinek’s Start with Why, Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead, as well as the writings of several sages and philosophers from across the world over the past 2,500 years.

Question 

Having read this far, my question for you this week will probably not surprise you. I’m taking you back to the quote at the beginning of our story. While the literal words have been wrongly attributed to Mark Twain, they point you to the powerful question of Why you were born. As a leader, what is your Purpose in this life?

At TransformationFirst.Asia, we coach leaders through transitions. During their work with us, we often see them visiting or revisiting the challenge of getting clear in their answers to the Why question about their Purpose. The clarity that coaching provides helps them gain added agency to serve others for greater impact.

Frequently, in our work as leaders, our focus is directed exclusively to solving immediate and localized issues. That is both understandable and correct. And yet, the Why question doesn’t go away. It keeps inviting us to work on getting clear on our Purpose as leaders and to revisit our answers often for confirmation and possible revision as we keep growing. If you need more clarity on your Purpose as a leader, set up a Free Strategy Call to discuss your next steps.