Slow Leadership is purpose-led leadership
The curse of the Busy‑Lost Leader
Most of us are leading in a state I call busy‑lost. Our calendars are full, we’re producing output, hitting KPIs, and keeping the machine running. Yet somewhere along the way we’ve lost our place in work and in our world. We’ve lost our sense of direction. In many ways, we’ve lost ourselves.
We’ve forgotten our why.
Our deeper why.
We could do almost anything with our time. Why are we choosing this?
Rebecca’s Story
Take Rebecca. An experienced, capable leader who came to coaching while working as a Chief Development Officer for Non-for-profit. Rebecca arrived to our first session with bright blue hair, a big, genuine smile, and a deeply reflective presence. But when they described their role—tech, systems improvement, operational uplift—I sensed a subtle minimising, a faint dismissiveness. And that hint told me something important: Rebecca’s connection to purpose at work was tenuous.
Purpose is like an engine for a leader. When it’s missing, you can feel the lethargy.
I began where I often begin, with a question:
“What is the deepest purpose of your role?”
Being naturally reflective, Rebecca went deeper than most on their first attempt:
We’re here to end loneliness, create joy and meaning, and my role is to help the company use tech well to connect and perform.
This is already far beyond the usual task‑based answers I hear. Most people respond with titles, outputs, or responsibilities. None of which are purpose. Rebecca had already reached toward impact. But something still wasn’t landing. The purpose they named was organisational, not personal. It wasn’t energising for Rebecca.
So, I kept asking the question. Every. Single. Session. I encouraged a fresh response each time: No referring to notes, no rehearsals. We needed to get beneath the habit.
Over time, something new emerged. Rebecca began talking about fun and creativity. Qualities central to who they are. Rebecca is an artist. They have an ongoing creative practice. Yet none of this was present in how Rebecca spoke of the role.
As we stayed with this thread, something sparked. Rebecca began to question the fit of the current role and explore other executive opportunities that were more overtly creative. I challenged Rebecca to think of purpose as leading from an aligned place. Something that may be possible where they are, or may find fuller expression elsewhere, but ultimately comes from within.
Then an image formed:
“The ideas and connection machine.”
A visual metaphor for purpose straight out of a Shaun Tan picture. A machine that generates creativity and connection for others. When Rebecca named this, a big cheshire-cat grin also emerged on her face. The energy shifted. A child‑like wonder returned. Something big in relationship to work had changed. The metaphor provided an image that was compass, engine and magnet for work. One that inspired, clarified a way of leading and Rebecca’s role in the organisation.
Now, when Rebecca answers the question “What is the deepest purpose of your role?” I can feel it. And I’m inspired by it, even though it has nothing to do with me.
This is the power of purpose: moving from tasks → organisational purpose → personal purpose aligned with organisational purpose.
Why Purpose?
If leadership is influence, then leaders must be clear about why they are leading, how they are leading, and where they are leading.
First some provocations:
Influencing others for your own benefit isn’t leadership—it’s manipulation.
Influencing others without knowing why isn’t leadership—it’s narcissism.
Influencing others without knowing how isn’t leadership—it’s immaturity.
Slow leadership reconciles all of these, and purpose is the lens that reveals the path.
I often describe purpose as a compass, an engine, and a magnet:
Compass: Purpose guides us through unfamiliar territory and helps us choose direction when things feel ambiguous.
Engine: Purpose energises us, providing fuel when fatigue creeps in.
Magnet: Purpose creates connection, trust, and resonance in those we lead
For purpose to function this way, it must emerge from a deep place within us. It must contain enough of the where, why, and how to offer clarity in ambiguity.
Purpose is uncovered, not invented. Modern corporate life, with its busyness, conditioning, and performance culture, obscures purpose. Remembering is often the more accurate verb for this relationship to purpose. Many of us entered our field for a compelling reason, and somewhere along the way we forgot the why. Interestingly, “remembering” is a more faithful translation of the Pali word sati, commonly translated as mindfulness.
One of the major components of Slow Leadership is being a purpose-led leader.
Why Bother With Purpose?
Fundamentally, because it’s good for you.
Research shows that a strong sense of purpose improves physical and psychological wellbeing.
For example:
A study in Psychosomatic Medicine found that people with greater purpose had lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and lower mortality i
A University of Pennsylvania study found that people with a strong sense of purpose experienced less loneliness and made healthier choices during Covid‑19ii
And it’s even better for your team and organisation.
Research from Kellogg School of Management shows that when employees experience alignment between personal and organisational purpose, their work feels more meaningfuliii
Research from the University of Sussex found that leaders who demonstrated clear purpose—vision, stakeholder commitment, strong morals—had teams that were happier and more productiveiv
Purpose isn’t soft. It’s strategic.
How to Uncover Purpose
Purpose isn’t crafted; it’s uncovered. Inventing a purpose is quick but shallow. Uncovering purpose takes time, and depth requires slowness.
When working with leaders to uncover purpose, I return to a handful of questions:
Who do you want to be in the world?
What do you hope others remember about you?
When do you feel most alive?
Which elements of your role do you relish?
What is the deepest purpose of your role?
Ask these questions repeatedly over a few weeks. Don’t censor what arises. The first flashes are often just the gold vein leading to the gold. Keep going until the result is undeniable.
For example, an OHS manager might begin with:
My purpose is to meet legal obligations and compliance. (Not energising.)
Then: My purpose is to keep people safe at work. (Better.)
Then: Safety creates a protected space for people to work. (Better again but missing the impact that the role creates)
Then the breakthrough:
“I am the guardian of human possibility.”
Now that is energising, directing, and attractive! It invites curiosity and innovation. Compliance alone does not.
In my experience, you will know that you arere close to deepest purpose when the answer is concise, emotive, and moving toward metaphor. As a coach, I use my own feelings as a guide in this. If I’m not inspired by the answer, I will keep asking until something deeper emerges.
Some Other Tips for uncovering purpose
Purpose is both personal and universal. Unique to you, yet graspable by others.
Purpose relates to the ultimate impact of our work
Purpose relates to the way we achieve that impact
Take your time. Depth requires slowness.
Follow the thread of feeling.
Notice (and resist) the reflex to censor what occurs.
A Gentle Warning
Sometimes, as our career progresses, we find ourselves in roles that simply do not resonate with our deeper purpose. When leaders struggle to find an energising, directing, or attractive purpose statement, misalignment is often the reason.
This can be confronting. Discomfort intolerance and cognitive dissonance kick in. We try to convince ourselves the work is meaningful to avoid the discomfort of acknowledging misalignment.
A skilled facilitator won’t let you settle. Through this process, leaders often naturally move to deeper questions:
What is the deepest purpose of my life outside of work?
Who do I want to be remembered as at my funeral?
What would it take to bring some of this into my role?
Sometimes a role change is needed. Yes, that’s scary. But the thought of spending years in a role that feels meaningless, missing the chance to lead from deep purpose, is far more frightening.
Slow Leadership is purpose-led
As our traditional leadership models continue to fail us in the modern world, and the destructiveness of fast-leadership styles become more obvious. A new way of leading is emerging. One that moves with attention, awareness and authenticity. One that owns it's impact, takes a wide and deep view and is aware of the uses of power. Slow Leadership.
Purpose is the place from which Slow Leadership can emerge.
References:
Randy Cohen et al. Purpose in Life and Its Relationship to All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events, Psychosomatic Medicine (2015).
Kang, Y., Cosme, D., Pei, R., Pandey, P., Carreras-Tartak, J. and Falk, E.B., 2021. Purpose in life, loneliness, and protective health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gerontologist, 61(6), pp.878-887.)
https://hbr.org/2023/11/narrow-the-gap-between-company-and-employee-purpose