The most eloquent definition of meaning come in Viktor Frankel’s book Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankel ties meaning to the internal purpose for which one lives.

I use a much less philosophical definition to provide a framework that leaders can use on a daily basis.

From a leadership perspective, there are three ways to create meaning: impact and change, purpose and connection, and sense making.

Impact and change
The primary contribution a leader makes relative to meaning is creating meaningful results. Meaningful results are those that have significant and/or lasting impact. A leader’s primary focus should be on making a meaningful contribution to his or her organization and people.

Purpose and connection
Leaders creates meaningful results is through their people. Unfortunately, studies consistently show that a large percentage of the workforce is under-utilized and un-engaged. Leaders whose people understand the relationship between their work and the organization’s, the customer’s, or society’s success are more engaged. This notion is probably the closest to Frankel’s definition of meaning.

Sense making
Finally, leaders help their people make an impact through sense making. Leaders help people understand what is happening in their environment. Leaders combine data and facts with their own context and perspective to create meaning.

Leading through meaning

The following six questions will help you focus on creating meaning for your people and your organization.

• What is the business outcome I’m trying to achieve?
• What unique contribution, as a leader, do I make to that outcome?
• How do I create focus, purpose, and meaning for my people in their work?
• How do I help my people navigate the situation going on around them?
• Am I finding the knowledge that is lost in information and do I seek the wisdom that is lost in knowledge? [based on a quote by T. S. Eliot]
• How do I create a culture of people who seek meaning?

Do you have answers for each? Do you consistently make decisions and take actions based on those answers? If so, you are leading through the creation of meaning.

 

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Brad Kolar is an executive consultant, speaker, and author with Avail Advisors.  Avail can help your leaders create more meaning and purpose in their decisions and actions.  Check us out at https://www.availadvisors.com/services/.