How to Create Purposeful Work

Hard truth I wish someone told me sooner: Your team can admire you. Your boss can appreciate you. But a company will never love you back. And when the winds change → Budgets get cut. → Teams get restructured. → Priorities shift. You’re expected to adapt, quietly. I learned this the hard way. I poured heart, time, and identity into a role… Until I realized I was replaceable in a system I thought I belonged to. That’s when everything changed. I stopped attaching my identity to roles, titles, and hustle And started anchoring it to a mission far deeper. Here’s how I made the shift (and how you can too): 1. Know your “Why.” ↳ Write down your mission. Your core values. ↳ Ask: What do I want to stand for—even when no one’s watching? 2. Become skill-rich, not title-dependent. ↳ Your role can vanish. Your skills won’t. ↳ Grow what can go with you anywhere. 3. Build an identity bigger than your job. ↳ You are more than a LinkedIn headline. ↳ Create a life that reflects who you are, not what you do. 4. Surround yourself with mission-driven humans. ↳ Network beyond status. ↳ Find people who light up when they talk about their purpose. 5. Align your career with impact. ↳ Don’t just chase promotions—chase alignment. ↳ Choose roles that echo your values. 6. Build something outside of work. ↳ Your personal brand. A creative project. ↳ An idea that has your fingerprint on it. Because when you’re mission-driven, not just job-driven: ✔ You take rejection as redirection. ✔ You see your role as a tool, not a tether. ✔ You build something no layoff can take away. Show up. Contribute. Care. But don’t forget to protect what’s yours. Because when the job ends, your purpose stays. P.S. What’s one thing you’re building that no job can take away? Drop it below, I’d love to hear! Message and image credit: Erica Williams Simon — ♻️ Spread the message. Someone out there might need this today. ➕ Follow Sandra Pellumbi for more. 🦉

When you set out to build a company that is good for society, how do you make sure your intentions go beyond just window dressing? In the 21 years that I have written about startups for Bloomberg Businessweek and Fortune and WIRED, I've seen a lot of companies make short-sighted decisions that compromise their social goals. They blame the economy, or the stock market, or a competitive business landscape. They say it's impossible. But companies like Warby Parker prove it’s possible to build a strong business that does good, *even* after 16 years and *even* in this economy. So how do we ensure that purpose stays at the heart of our work? Cofounder Neil Blumenthal shared his thoughts on a recent episode of the #HelloMondayPodcast: 1. Define Clear Values: Purpose can’t just be a buzzword. Embed your company’s core values into everything you do—from how you hire and treat employees to the sustainability of your supply chain. 2. Measure and Share Impact: Be transparent about your goals and track your progress with hard data. Share what’s working, and just as importantly, what’s not. True commitment to change means accountability, not perfection. 3. Engage Stakeholders: Your employees, customers, and communities should have a voice. Create feedback loops that allow for honest input and adjust your approach based on their needs, not just what looks good in a mission statement. 4. Lead by Example: It’s not enough to talk about doing good—your leadership needs to embody these values. Authenticity comes from action at every level of the company. We don't have to sacrifice social impact for growth. It takes intentionality and accountability, but it’s possible to stay true to mission. And: Big gratitude to Leanne Pittsford & the Lesbians Who Tech & Allies Summit for inviting us to record this episode live in September in New York City! What do you think? How can businesses balance purpose with profitability in today’s challenging environment? Who is doing it well?

Leadership isn’t just about strategy—it’s about creating environments where people can connect with their purpose and grow as human beings. 🌿✨ During my time at Roche India, I prioritized creating safe spaces for teams to explore their values, reflect on their purpose, and connect deeply with their work. Inspired by ancient philosophies like Vedanta and Taoism, we built an environment where people felt seen and valued—not just for their roles, but for who they were. The result? A more connected, resilient, and purpose-driven organization. As Dr. Lisa Miller’s research on spirituality highlights, fostering “awakened awareness” leads to clarity, collaboration, and stronger relationships. 💡 Key Takeaways for Leaders: 1️⃣ Encourage Reflection – Provide time and space for individuals to align their actions with their values. 2️⃣ Foster Safe Spaces – Create environments of trust where vulnerability is welcomed. 3️⃣ Align with a Greater Mission – Show how personal and organizational purposes can intersect to drive collective impact. When leaders nurture the human-BEING within their teams, they create more than just successful organizations—they create spaces for transformation and growth. Let’s lead with humanity. 🌱 💬 How do you create safe spaces for your teams? Share your experiences in the comments. #Leadership #PurposeDriven #HumanCenteredLeadership #Growth #Trust #MindfulLeadership #LaraReflections

🧭 The Meaning Deficit at Work Why so many jobs feel empty—and how leaders can restore meaning and individuals can reconnect with purpose from within. KEY POINTS: - Seventy percent of people feel disengaged at work—because purpose is often missing. - Disengagement costs companies $9 trillion a year. - Only two in 10 workers feel inspired—work shouldn't just fill time, it should fulfill people. - The best leaders know there's a difference between managing tasks and leading people. I have spent decades helping organizations large and small change their cultures. And in that time I’ve seen the same pattern again and again. When leaders try to run their companies like machines, the living, breathing, messy humans they rely on switch off. This problem has only gotten worse as we’ve moved into the digital age. A Simple Framework: LIFTS Over the years, I’ve developed a straightforward approach to building workplaces where people actually want to be. I call it LIFTS (from our #1 The Wall Street Journal bestselling book "REINVENT") : Learn—Start with yourself. What gets you up in the morning? What kind of legacy do you want to leave? Investigate—Ask the real questions. How are people actually feeling? What’s working in your organization, and what’s driving people crazy? Formulate—Create a vision that people can believe in. Something real, not just corporate slogans. Take action—Make decisions that show you care about people, not just profit margins. Study what happens—Pay attention to what inspires growth. Be willing to change course when something isn’t working. This isn’t just a business framework. It’s a way of thinking about leadership as service—using your position to protect and nurture the energy, attention, and hope of the people who trust you to lead them. 📌 Find out more in our new Psychology Today's essential read - https://lnkd.in/eTkc53Ze. #leadership #jobs #careers #FutureOfWork #purpose