Why, what and how

Finding a purpose for your work is important (Handy calls it your “golden seed”; something you can nurture and grow that is aligned to your interests). But in retrospect, I see that this is a lifelong endeavour. We don’t have to rush in the quest for meaning. If I had stuck with some of my first roles a little longer, I would have gained deeper and more diverse experience to build on later.

Another insight came to me later in my career, as a result of my PhD research. I found that, besides the “why” of work (your purpose), the “what” (your expertise) may be less important than the “how” (your competencies). While the “why” is somewhat philosophical and linked to your values, the “what” is grounded in knowledge, which is necessary but not sufficient to succeed.

The “how” is your mode of operating, your skill set and the way of working that gives you the most satisfaction. This shapes the kind of leader you will become. My research identified four types of leader – the expert, facilitator, catalyst and activist – based on different existential drives. I summarised these in an article for The Guardian called “Finding your inner sustainability superhero”.

Of course, my research had a sustainability lens, but I’ve subsequently found that the four types apply more generally to working professionals. For example, are you more driven by knowledge (expert), or by working with people (facilitator)? Are you trying to change an organisation’s strategic direction (catalyst) or trying to change society more broadly (activist)? We all have elements of the four, but lean towards one dominant type.

The reason this is important is because if you find yourself being pushed or promoted into roles that are not aligned to your natural type, it will be hard work and your job will not be much fun. You will also be less effective, because we put more energy into activities that give us satisfaction. It’s something to think about as our work evolves and our careers progress and new opportunities arise.