I preach the importance of values all the time. But some leaders I work with aren’t unmotivated or unclear about their values.
They’re just stuck.
They’ve done the deep work and taken all the assessments. And yet, they still feel unsure about their direction. They are too hesitant to fully commit.
That’s often because they’ve been sold a subtle myth: That purpose is something you discover by looking inward long enough.
In reality, that approach often creates the opposite of clarity. Let’s solve that.
The Modern Myth of Introspective Purpose
Today’s leadership advice frequently treats purpose as an internal puzzle: If you just understand yourself better, everything else will fall into place.
But leaders who stay here too long often experience:
- Overthinking instead of deciding
- Alignment talk without action
- A quiet fear of choosing the “wrong” path
When purpose becomes purely introspective, leadership turns cautious. Leaders wait to feel ready instead of responding to what’s actually needed. If this is your team, they can feel the hesitation.
Viktor Frankl and the Psychology of Responsibility
Psychiatrist, author, and Holocaust survivor, Viktor Frankl, offered a different and more demanding idea.
Frankl argued that meaning isn’t something we manufacture through reflection. It’s something we respond to through responsibility.
His core insight was simple but disruptive: Life is asking something of us… and meaning comes from answering. For leaders, this reframes purpose entirely and gives us a different question to answer.
Instead of asking: What do I want most right now?
Frankl invites a harder, more clarifying question: What responsibility is mine to carry in this moment?
Purpose doesn’t precede responsibility. It often follows it. Purpose responds to responsibility as we engage with our world in meaningful ways through the best of who we are as individuals.
Calling as Response, Not Preference
Dietrich Bonhoeffer echoed this idea through his understanding of vocation.
Calling, for Bonhoeffer, wasn’t about chasing fulfillment or waiting for inner certainty. It was about responding faithfully to real needs – where you are, with the people entrusted to you. In this way, calling is concrete, not abstract.
For leaders, this means that purpose isn’t found by optimizing personal preference. Purpose is forged by showing up responsibly in imperfect situations.
You will never have all of the answers. But often times, clarity grows through commitment, not more contemplation.
Why Leaders Gain Clarity After Commitment
Here’s what I consistently see in leadership coaching: Leaders don’t have 100% clarity or alignment before moving. They commit, and the clarity and alignment solidifies as they go.
Responsibility forces focus. Action reveals values. Ownership sharpens identity.
Discovery of purpose is a consistent work over the lifetime. As you engage with it, you will never be 100% certain of what it means or how it will direct you. Pursuing purpose-first leadership requires action. And this can help your team too.
How Teams Rediscover Purpose Through Shared Responsibility
Teams don’t find purpose through better language alone. The workshops and reflections all have their place, but action is still required. Teams find purpose alignment when they take shared responsibility for something meaningful.
Purpose becomes real when teams can clearly answer:
- What problem are we responsible for solving?
- Who are we accountable to?
- What are we committing to – even when it’s hard?
When responsibility is shared, purpose stops being inspirational and starts being operational.
That’s where engagement, trust, and momentum actually come from.
The Next Step
So what do you do with all of this. Let’s start with a question.
What responsibility is in front of you right now that you might be avoiding while waiting for clarity?
You don’t need perfect certainty.
You don’t need everyone on exactly the same page.
You don’t need to understand exactly where this will take you.
You need a willingness to respond.
If you want help clarifying purpose – personally or across your team – by grounding it in responsibility rather than vague introspection, I’d be glad to help.
Book a free 15-minute call to explore what purpose-first leadership could look like in your context.