How to Be a Purpose-Driven Leader Without Burning Out

The idea of servant leadership — putting your team’s needs ahead of your own — brought us to a more compassionate, human-centered work environment. But in today’s environment, it’s a recipe for burnout. Instead, the authors suggest a more impact-driven philosophy called “noble-purpose leadership,” that ties leaders and teammates to the pursuit of a shared goal that positively impacts constituents. In servant leadership, the message is: You’re in your role to serve others, making it tempting to focus on pleasing others and difficult to say no. In noble-purpose leadership, the message is: You’re in your role to make an impact. This requires more strategic thinking in terms of where to place your efforts. The authors offer three areas where managers can shift their lens to noble-purpose leadership.