Google advisor for leadership development, Fred Kofman joins Moe Abdou to discuss why leaders who prioritize meaning & purpose consistently outperform their competitors & ignite greatness in others.
Why Meaning Matters at Work
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna inspires Arjuna to “… go fight your war, do your dharma, express everything as a sacrifice to me, but that doesn’t mean you’re going win – don’t count on winning, count of being proud of doing everything as a sacrifice to your higher value – if you keep that as the North for your moral compass – no matter what happens I can express my highest values in a most moral way..”
Hearing Google advisor and leadership development aficionado, Fred Kofman recount those words made me think of my own life in leadership and times when I was young, inexperienced and yearning for that nudge from someone I could look up to. There were many examples, but few who exemplified the depth of character that it takes to demonstrate what it means to serve a higher purpose.
As human beings, we all crave meaning – each of us is looking for someone to be, something to do, and someone to look up to – because what is life without purpose, really? In finance during the 80s and 90s, that meaning dialogue wasn’t board room conversation; in fact, it was our singular mission to achieve our financial targets – and while that enriched my life professionally, I had always known something to be missing personally.
In his latest book – The Meaning Revolution: The Power of Transcendent Leadership, Fred Kofman does a masterful job of crafting a modern leadership narrative – one that not only starts with a higher calling, but strives for a contribution that goes way beyond individual or organizational excellence. If you’re one who feels something missing in your life personally or professionally, you’ll find this conversation particularly impactful. Here’s a sample of the questions we explore:
- What Transcendent leader prioritize?
- The difference between formal and moral authority?
- The four common traps that lead to an organization to spiral?
- Why immorality is the ultimate motivator?
- Why numbers lie?
- Why it means to die before you die?
- Why is meaning is so elusive for individuals and businesses alike?
- Resources: