If you don’t know your purpose, you’re not leading, you’re loitering. Standing around with a title, talking points, and empty platitudes isn’t leadership. It’s a waste of everyone’s time, including yours.
Leadership without purpose is superficial. It appears active, but it’s directionless. And in today’s high-stakes environment, being lost is risky. A leader without purpose isn’t guiding; they’re guessing. That’s not a strategy. That’s roulette with people’s livelihoods, well-being, and futures.
We’ve seen the signs of leadership drift. The CEOs and company boards who hide behind social justice language without making any fundamental operational changes are not providing leadership. They are purpose-washing, and people see through it.
Tech executives who tout ‘responsible AI’ one week, then fire the ethicists who raise concerns the next. That’s not alignment; it’s cowardice masquerading as ambition, and investors tend to swallow it whole. People with this mindset aren’t facing reality. They’re shaping a story and hoping no one sees the misalignment behind the curtain.
And in politics, where vision should guide every decision, we’ve got elected officials reacting to polls instead of setting a clear direction. Some hoard power but struggle to unite their followers. Others have lost public trust because they can’t clearly express what they believe or why it matters in a way that aligns with their behaviors. The world isn’t crying out for more reactive figureheads; it’s desperate for leaders who know who they are and what they stand for.
That’s the Canon, Standard One: Know Yourself and Your Purpose
If you don’t know your purpose, you’re not fit to lead. Period.
Purpose isn’t a vanity exercise. It’s the foundation of leadership. Without it, you drift. With it, you decide boldly and consistently. You align values with vision. You inspire trust, not confusion. You grow, not stagnate.
At Karl Bimshas Consulting, we don’t coddle leaders into comfort. We call them into clarity. We don’t care how well you speak if your actions scream confusion. Don’t tell us what you stand for—prove it.
Here’s the test:
- Can you clearly define your personal leadership purpose?
- Does it align with your organization or community’s mission?
- Do your actions support it, even when pressure mounts?
If not, stop pretending. Step back. Clarify your purpose. Or step aside.
Because the movement we’re building doesn’t have time for leadership drift, we’re raising the standard, and that begins with knowing your purpose. If you’re not leading with it, you’re just loitering, and your time’s up.
Leadership Standard Check: Can you defend your decisions with your purpose? If not, you’re gambling. Get aligned.
