Beyond a paycheck. Beyond flex time. There is one question leaders in all positions seek to have answered.

That question is: Am I making a difference?

Each person has three core motivators in business:

1. Income
2. Freedom
3. Purpose

The order may vary from person to person as to which is most important at any given time; but for each of us, there are these three elements.

At some point, for everyone, purpose becomes the mainline.

In fact, if a person has managed to achieve their income potential and has the freedom to do what they want, they will very often spend their time doing something to fulfill a purpose that is their passion.

Bill Gates is a leader who comes to mind. He used his strengths to create a business that helped him reach his income potential; he came to a point where he could choose where, when, and if he worked.

And then he walked away.

Why?

The reasons surrounding his transition have been speculative; but one thing is clear. He had come to the point where he chose purpose. And his purpose is two-fold philanthropy – giving and technology. It’s about people and technology.

Purpose is the ultimate “why” of what you do – the reason you want the income, and the reason you want the freedom.

Now the fact is, we spend decades of our working lives striving to reach the point of purpose. Many call it “retirement.”

But you don’t have to wait to live your purpose until you’re done making enough money that you have enough time. For some, those come too late. If you wanted to define “regret” in two words, that definition would be “unlived purpose.”

The key is to work and live with purpose now while you are also building income and freedom.

How do you do this?

1. Get clarity on the WHY of what you do.

As my mentor, Dan Miller, often asks… “If money were no object, what would you do?”

Many people find the answer to that quite different from what they are doing today.

This is the driving force for many who start their own businesses. They want to move out of a job that doesn’t fit and into a business that does.

Many are conflicted because they want and need steady income, but want and need purpose as well. If you get to the WHY of what you do, very often you can apply it to the work you do or move into a position that is a better fit for your WHY and your STRENGTHS.

This is one of the programs we offer at Strength Leader – the assessment and tools to help you define your WHY and build from there. Knowing your WHY also helps you decide which opportunities fit and which do not. If you are a business leader and/or a business owner, knowing your WHY is not only good to know, it is essential to business.

2. Find work (or tailor your current work) to fit that purpose.

There are many leaders who spend their time helping people in the community by doing volunteer work on the weekends. They are conflicted when they have to go back to work because it feels like they are walking away from purpose.

But…have you ever considered your impact as a leader on the lives of your employees? You help families every day in your work by leading a company that provides paychecks for these families. You don’t have to wait decades to fulfill your purpose; you can do it every day.

3. Apply Strengths to Purpose

In an ironic twist, the more you focus on applying your STRENGTHS to PURPOSE, the more likely you are to increase income and thereby increase your freedom.

Focus on income alone, and you will feel empty.

Focus on freedom alone, and you will feel frustrated.

Focus on purpose and working in your strengths, and you will truly make a difference – to yourself, to others, and in your business.

Here’s the bottom line.

Everyone has just a few decades to make a difference. Even if you live to be 100, that is just 10 decades. You can use six or seven decades and then make a difference; or you can start today. And you start with purpose and strengths.

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If you or your team need help defining purpose and identifying how to apply your strengths to that purpose in order to make a difference to others and to your company’s bottom line, contact Deb Ingino.

As the CEO of Strength Leader Development, Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after international executive mentor, coach, trainer and speaker. Deb is well versed in global business operations and helps business leaders and their teams to discover and leverage their strengths, so they can create highly collaborative teams that deliver great results. With a refreshingly direct style, Deb helps leaders and their teams to deliver profitable results. Connect with Deb to learn more about her mentorship and coaching programs to equip you with advanced strategies to elevate your results.

Do you know a leader making a difference? Would you like to let the world know about them and their work? Why not nominate them for our John Maxwell Transformational Leadership Award! You can find info and nomination form here: http://johnmaxwellteam.com/leadership-awards-home