Good Leaders: How have you grown over the past year?

One year ago, Richard Leider was the kick-off speaker at the 2017 Good Leadership Breakfast Series. He was the first internationally-accomplished speaker, being known as the world’s foremost authority on the power of purpose in life and leadership. By saying “yes!” to our invitation, he encouraged us to reach higher and farther for speakers to help amplify and spread the Goodness Pays message.

The core of his message was that purpose helps with all aspects of life and leadership. And, for those of us who don’t know our purpose yet he offered this as the place to start: to grow and give, everyday. At that very instant, I recalled how I discovered my purpose.

Connecting to goodness

In 2011, one of my kids in college gave me a copy of Ode magazine with the headline: Giving is Good. It was an essential part of a class on world societies. While reading that issue, I vividly recall making the commitment to my purpose: to spread goodness through leaders. From that day on, I was determined to meet the founder and editor of the publication, Jurriaan Kamp.

Jurriaan is the kick-off speaker for the 2018 Good Leadership Breakfast Series next Friday, February 16. We’re sold out, so this message isn’t intended to lure you into buying a ticket.

My goal is to embolden you to think deeply about your purpose, and what that purpose has to do with spreading goodness.  Here’s how Jurriaan and his magazine – today called The Intelligent Optimist – did that for me.

Jurriaan Kamp, The Intelligent Optimist

The subheading for the December 2011, Volume 8, Issue 6 said: How giving improves health, spreads wealth, strengthens social bonds – and, best of all, it’s contagious. Somehow, I mistakenly (subconsciously) inserted the word “goodness” where “giving” was in that sentence and SHAZAM. I found my purpose.

It was only four years later, that I realized my reading mistake. Perhaps it was optimism that caused me to mistake “goodness” for “giving.” But who cares?  I was inspired by these articles that surfaced my purpose:

●   Reflections on a generous life

●   The flip side of “getting”

●   The art of intangible gifts

Each was meticulously researched and expertly sourced, and I was hooked.  So, next Friday, we are hosting our second internationally-acclaimed speaker. Jurriaan Kamp is one of the founders of the Solutions Journalism movement, and his claim-to-fame includes introducing Deepak Chopra to the world, long before Oprah.

Hard to say ‘no’

I’m deeply sorry that we cannot accommodate more guests at this breakfast. Our season ticket sales have nearly doubled year-over-year, and we’ve turned away far too many ticket requests. I guess these are good growing pains.

Good leaders measure their growth by the satisfaction they feel in serving their purpose. And they reach higher and farther as their confidence grows.

Please share with me: How have you grown over the past year?