I once had
the experience of talking to two leaders in the business world who did
exactly the same work, and yet had very different realities in the way they
experienced that work. The first one, Dan, was suffering from burnout and a
general lack of fulfillment in his career. He was a very successful
developer, had the admiration of many people, made a lot of money, led a
large company, and in the eyes of most people had attained
“success.” Yet what he reported to me went something like this:
“I
really don’t like my work. It is not fulfilling. It lacks any meaning.
Every day, it feels meaningless.”
“What
do you mean?” I asked.
“Well,
I find a piece of land, do the deal, get it permitted and entitled, build a
bunch of houses, sell them, make a lot of money, and then move on to the next
one. It is just business and has no meaning. I am thinking of going into the
ministry, so I can find some meaning.”
It was a
sad story to see such a seemingly successful leader, accomplishing what many
leaders strive to accomplish, be so unfulfilled and lost in his lack of
meaning.
Soon after,
I talked to another homebuilder who did exactly the same kind of development.
But what he reported to me was very different.
“I
love my work,” David said. “I just love it.”
“Why
is that?” I asked.
“Because
it has so much meaning. It is just the most meaningful work in the world to
me.”
“Building
homes? Really? How is that?” I really wanted to know, having heard the
other man’s tale of meaninglessness in the same activities.
“Well,
it begins with the land. I look at a piece of undeveloped land and I can see
the future of playgrounds where children will be running around, safe and
happy. I picture backyards with family gatherings, and cul-de-sacs with
bicycles and street hockey games. Then, when I am meeting with the
architects, I look at the plans and see dens and living rooms on Christmas
morning, full of love, or a staircase with a teenage girl walking down in her
prom dress, and the family and her date sharing her big night. To think that
I get to create places where life will happen and love can grow is just the
most meaningful thing I think I could ever do.”
Wow, I
thought. That is really different from Dan, but exactly the same activities.
The question was, why? Why was one of them close to burnout, and the other
having a virtual worship experience?
The answer
is in the “why,” the motivation for it all. Joe had gone into
leadership to accomplish things, be successful, make money, and find
fulfillment. Nothing wrong with any of those, but the problem is that none of
them is able to create meaning or fulfillment. They are just results, not
causes.
By
contrast, David did not look to his work or accomplishment to give him
meaning. Instead, he brought the meaning to the work. Why he did what he did,
the driving force behind it, was this: to bring life to people, to serve
them, to make things better for others while using his own skills and talents
to a profitable end. He was fulfilled by love as a motivation before he ever
built his first home. Then, the process of building houses brought that
fulfillment to fruition. It was a realization of the meaning, not a creation
of it.
So, in your
leadership, do not look for your work or your mission to give you meaning and
motivation. Instead, look in your heart and ask yourself, “What drives
me? Why am I doing what I am doing?” In that little exercise, you will
find a lot of treasure. What you love and care about will bring meaning to
whatever you do.
If your
motivation is one which actually has inherent meaning, like love, service to
God and others, lasting values, and the like, then it will drive you to do
great things. It will also keep you from burning out as you pour yourself out
and give your energy away. In dark moments of fear, failure, or difficulty,
when you remind yourself of why you are doing what you are doing, you will
find the strength and resolve to go on. And, when it all works, you will be
able to celebrate the accomplishments as truly having value past some
momentary pleasure for yourself.
And if you
find that your motivation is not one that lasts, or that it lacks true value,
then you can do some soul searching to find where you have lost your way. It
is human to be lost sometimes, but it is heavenly to be found. When you are
lost and cannot find a good “why” to do it all, that is the time
to look to God and others to help you find your heart. It is there, but it
may take a little digging to rediscover it or embrace it for the first time.
Either way, looking to the “why” is part of the path home.
Remember,
“why’s” have great power. They can make a loving God leave
heaven and hang on a cross to save our lives and souls. They can make a
soldier give his or her life for their country. And they can make a leader
pursue all that God has for him or her, with passion and lasting meaning.
Find your “why’s,” and you can do great things for great
reasons.
