Page 278 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

THE WHY OF WORK

Leaders as Models

People say that charity begins at home. The same is true for
meaning. To become a leader who shapes and creates mean-
ing for others, start with a personal meaning audit:

• • How do I feel about my work?
• • What aspects of my job are the most meaningful to me?
• • What am I trying to accomplish that feels connected to
a greater good I value?
• • Which of the seven drivers of meaning matters most to
me?
• • Which of the seven drivers of meaning could I invest in
to make a difference in how I experience my job?
• • What could I do in the next 30 to 90 days to help myself
and my employees find more meaning in our work?

A leader’s small meaning-promoting acts can enhance a
sense of personal meaning. When budget cuts at one com-
pany meant eliminating snacks at corporate off-sites, the top
executive personally baked cookies to pass around at the
next retreat. In another company, a leader wrote personal
thank-you notes to those who made unique contributions to
a product or customer success. Another executive observed
special events (birthdays, work anniversaries, children’s grad-
uations, funerals) with personal cards or notes. Another wrote
gratitude letters to employees’ significant others (spouses,
partners, children, parents) to personally acknowledge the
employees’ good works. Such small and simple actions sig-
nal a sense of sharing values and of valuing employees. This
is not to suggest in any way that a leader has to be every
employee’s best friend or that pragmatic financial issues be

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