You Need a Vision. You Need Altruism.

Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant, in reflection on the 9/11 attacks once said, “The greatest way to honor those that we have lost, is to live with Honor. Choosing compassion over callousness and dignity in the face of disdain. Unholding your principles when others compromise theirs. Being grateful for precious time too many were denied.” And I have treated that quote as an oath that I took as part of my father's eulogy in 2022. Both of my parents worked in public service; my father as a Lieutenant for the fire department and my mother as a school psychologist for the public school system. Altruism wasn't just what was preached on Sundays. It wasn't just a given of the career. It was an identity. It is a way of being.

Becoming who I am "meant to be" and how I am "meant to serve" has in many respects felt like charging up a hill in battle. If you can open yourself up to the possibility for a moment, that you would not be here if you weren't the vessel for some unique skillset that you could only uncover through its use, you will find that what we societally place value on is a very limited skillset that serves capitalistic means over altruism thousands of times over. I, naturally, fell into this trap.

Social success isn't measured in impact, it's measured in monetary assets. Prestige comes with positions of power, not positions of influence. Extrinsic rewards create a carrot and stick social contract that governs most organizations and most leadership styles therein. Inherently, the stick doesn't encourage learning and improvement; it encourages superiority and inferiority complexes that perpetuate negative self-talk tracks for everyone. Intuition and intrinsic motivation are treated as frivolous and not to be trusted.

I had a loose vision for who I wanted to become. I could see myself leading a boardroom of people or giving a TedTalk that could change people's perception of themselves and the world they live in... but beyond egotistic validation, the underlying altruistic expertise was under-developed. I remember speaking with an artist mentor of mine years ago about how I had read part of this book that was talking about the devastation of the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka and the atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan government, who sold off the fishing lands to private enterprise for international resorts and wiped out the lives, livelihoods, and lifestyle of the people most impacted by the natural disaster. I wanted to make work in response to it. My mentor's reaction was swift, cutting to my newly found inspiration, but profound:

"That's not your story to tell."

I wasn't there. I didn't experience it. I didn't know anyone who had experienced it. I hadn't bared witness to any part of it. You can't make genuine work when it hasn't genuinely been a part of your life. But this was a quintessential turning point in my art career and in my life -- I needed to go live; I needed to go on the journey that would become my story.

The cog of the corporate grind was a VERY necessary chapter in my [ongoing] journey of becoming. Early on, my leadership style was undefined-- as one would expect when you are young with no points of reference or comparison. And while we may not all want to be in the spotlight or out in front, understanding our style of influence helps us navigate the environments that we will most excel in for working with other people. For at its core, what else really is altruism if not a meaningful, authentic contribution to the lives of others?

This is where I see my clients and potential clients often getting stuck-- they get caught in the societal pressures and organizational red tape. They stop learning and searching for how they make a unique, authentic contribution and instead keep following the carrot off the beaten path. If you struggle with defining your vision. Here's what you should consider:

• What lights you up? What is intrinsically motivating for you?

• What's your hot take on the things you are passionate about? How do you think about taking action to approach your passions?

• What are you continuing to immerse yourself in and learn about?

• When you picture yourself as the hero of your story, what are you doing? How are you delivering?

If we don't have vision, we don't have direction. If you don't have direction, you can't meaningfully prioritize. If you can't meaningfully prioritize, your time is passing you by. Time is finite. Have vision for how you want to spend it. Chances are, your most meaningful time is some manifestation of altruism.

I recognized that the way that I wanted to work with individuals meant empowering them to become the highest version of themselves across all facets of their life -- because your whole life should mirror the whole person that you are (not just your job or title). The corporate environment didn't align with my values or my operating principles, and to serve the people I am meant to help, I needed to cultivate an environment that reflected who I really am so I could reach the people for whom my work is meaningful.

This is what I'm challenging you to do: start considering if your environments and your actions align with the person that you are, and if not, start identifying what you need to do to change that. What do you need to do differently to show up more meaningfully for others?

Looking for a jumpstart to cultivating your vision? Check out my masterclass From Career Exhaustion to Personal Legacy to learn how you can get started on leading a more empowered life.