S2E8: Bringing Our Full Self To Work with Andrea Butcher

In this episode of Purpose Project, host Leslie Pagel sits down with Andrea Butcher, a seasoned executive, coach, and entrepreneur committed to human-centered growth. They explore the concept of purpose in the workplace, discussing how individual and organizational purposes intersect. Andrea shares insights on fostering environments where employees feel empowered to be their authentic selves, emphasizing the roles of leadership and culture in this process. They also touch upon personal purpose, and Andrea shares her own journey of self-discovery and leadership development. The episode highlights the shared responsibility of cultivating purpose within organizations and the significant impact it has on both individuals and business growth.

00:00 Introduction to Purpose Project

01:26 Meet Andrea Butcher: A Champion for Human-Centered Growth

02:34 The Importance of Leadership in Business Growth

04:38 Creating a Positive Work Culture

08:19 The Role of Purpose in the Workplace

15:44 Leadership Development: The Key to Human-Centered Leadership

20:13 The Age of Aquarius: A Time for Transformation

21:47 Purpose Beyond Profits: Conscious Capitalism

24:17 Personal Journey and Self-Rediscovery

25:59 Balancing Business Needs and Personal Interests

30:18 Aligning Policies with Mission and Vision

34:27 Creating a Culture of Growth and Alignment

38:03 The Role of Leadership in Cultivating Purpose

43:25 Final Thoughts on Shared Responsibility

Purpose Project is a research study on the topic of life's purpose. You can follow along in the making of Purpose Project:
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Transcript

Leslie: 0:05

Welcome back to Purpose Project. My name is Leslie Pagel and I am so glad that you found us today because this episode is one you won't want to miss. In this episode, I sit down with Andrea Butcher. Andrea is a seasoned executive. She is also. A coach to executives. She's an entrepreneur and she is an all around champion for human-centered growth and development. In this episode, Andrea and I discuss purpose in the workplace, not just. The personal pursuit, but also the intersection of individual purpose and organizational purpose. And we talk about how leaders can create an environment where people are truly empowered to bring their full selves to work. Let's take a listen. Andrea, thank you for being on Purpose Project. I'm looking forward to having a conversation about how purpose shows up in the workplace. Leslie, I'm so glad to be here. You're someone that I have admired and respected for so many years, so I can't imagine anything better than talking about purpose with someone that I admire. Wonderful. Well, before we jump into the topic of purpose. Tell us a little bit about who is Andrea? Who is Andrea? Well, she's multifaceted, you know, very dynamic and lots of different things come to mind. I have always been, even as a kid,

Andrea: 1:40

Really fascinated in the mysteries of life. Like I wanted to be an astronaut. I mean, I would spend hours like reading about astronomy and the stars and what's out there. And so not surprising. I got a degree in psychology'cause mm-hmm. I remember sitting in Psych 1 0 1 at Indiana State University and all of a sudden, oh my goodness. There's a whole field devoted to exploration of the mysteries of life and. Quite a philosopher. I kind of see myself, I just, I'm such a seeker and so curious about why people do what they do and so my master's degree is in human resource development and Okay. When I graduated with that degree, the job market was wide open I've been in the HR talent space for over 20 years, and when I entered it, I think. It definitely has evolved a lot through that time, but I was so fortunate very quickly, I worked for a company in London and so I got to do global people and talent work for eight years, and what I realized really quickly was that in order to equip leaders and. Team members in within the organization, you needed strong processes and culture, and I saw that play out firsthand. The company I worked for was headquartered in London, but I lived in Chicago and so I was supporting all of these sales branches all across the country and not surprising where we had the best numbers, the best results, um, very little employee relations issues. There were good leaders in those branches. And so I realized really early in my career if we would just equip leaders to actually lead. Yes, the results follow. And I'm fortunate that I saw that so early in my career'cause it has really set me up for a career of equipping and developing leaders and really pouring into the people within the business to support business growth and. You know, now fast forward 20 years, I've, I've, you know, not only have I gotten to, you know, lead in that large global organization, but I've gotten to grow organizations of my own. I've served at the CEO level. I've been on an executive team reporting up to a board, and so I've seen firsthand through my own experience how pouring into the people leads to business growth and. Purpose, as we know, is such a big part of that. And at at this point in my career, you know, I, so I'm currently today leading multiple organizations. They get varying degrees of my time. You know, where I'm spending the most time right now is on my executive coaching and consulting business. Okay. So that business, I would say is my core business my favorite definition of culture is the shadow of the leader. Oh. And that executive team is in so many ways, the shadow of the culture, their ways of working really set the tone. For what others see and and model within the organization. So I really love the impact of that work coming alongside them, helping them to tell the truth about what's really going on. Helping them to acknowledge the dysfunction because there is not an executive team that doesn't have dysfunction, right? So let's tell the truth about it so that we can solution together and mitigate together. So that's the core work. I also have a nonprofit organization that I founded several years ago called Next Gen Talent. Okay. And it is a development program for emerging HR leaders. It's an underserved group of leaders, and because HR and talent is shifting so much to the people function, it is about equipping those leaders with the business skills necessary to move their organizations forward. Nice. And then I always have Leslie, because I love to create, I always have something I am, I'm creating. Okay. You know, the other two businesses are more in maintenance mode at this point, but the thing that I'm creating right now with a couple of fellow coaches and friends is it's called a Sisterhood Project. And it's all about bringing executive women together to focus more holistically. Like one of our values is play. And so we have, um, we have game nights once a quarter where we just laugh together and play games and have a glass of wine or a mocktail and experience a different side of ourselves. We'll have play dates where we'll go on walks or we'll find, a show or something that we'll do together. I was in a lot of these executive women's groups that were so focused on the business. Mm-hmm. And it's like, oh my gosh, there's so much more to my leadership Right. Than how I'm running my business. Like, I, I, and I think it is all connected. Being a mom of, of, um, a, a kid that just moved away. You know, all aspects of my life I wanna honor and lift up and create space for. And so that's what we're doing with this Sisterhood Project. I love that. Well, you used that word connected and that was. Uh, the main word that came outta season one, which was focused on individuals pursuing their purpose, I have found that in order to live a life of purpose as an individual, we have to be connected to ourselves, to each other, and to the environment. Mm. You're talking about like a togetherness connection that you're creating with executive women. Absolutely. Which I imagine would bleed over into their business life and how you run your business. Yes. Wherever you go, there you are. It is all, it is all connected and Mm-hmm. And, I think particularly in this post pandemic world that we live in, we recognize that there isn't a separation between our professional life and our personal life. That it is all a part of being a human and honoring more of our humanity at work is really important and much more normalized today. Mm-hmm. Which is a good thing. Yeah. Before we jump into purpose in the workplace, one question I ask everyone is, do you have a purpose in your life? I do. What is it? And it is so simple. It is. It is to be the light. It's one of those, you know, because I'm a coach, I'm fortunate to be certified in a lot of different assessment tools. So I get to play with a lot of different assessment tools, and I've done most of them. And the, the theme for me is this theme of positivity. I am gifted and I know that it is a gift. I am gifted with a glass half full orientation and naturally see the beauty and the goodness in people. And so positivity is a core value of mine, and I have a, I've taken that. Theme and extrapolated it into this simple, like, wherever I go, I want to bring my light with me. Yeah. So I'm intentional about the words that I use. I'm intentional about, um, the thought patterns. You know, negative thoughts, of course, will emerge. I don't have to believe them. I don't have to follow them. And so I always wanna come back to the light. Yeah. Be the light. Yes. So let's talk about purpose in the workplace. Yeah. Throughout all your experience, how do you see purpose show up in the workplace? I think purpose is, so just in the example that I used, purpose is so core to who an individual is. Mm-hmm. So creating, creating space and making it safe for people to be who they are. Right. So that their purpose can naturally emerge. Mm-hmm. I think that is the culture work that we hear so much about. That's the work of leaders creating an environment where people, like people feel like they can. Say when they're not okay. When they can share something personal about themselves. You know, I think that's when we, we, that's when we see purpose emerge, right? So purpose shows up in the workplace because employees bring their whole selves to work, hopefully. And And in doing that, they're bringing their purpose into the workplace. Yeah. Because I mean, I think purpose is, is is who you are. Mm-hmm. And. What's so interesting about that is it never goes away, right? I mean, think about how, like that's the constant, and if we, if we get to a place in our lives where we can lead with that, how, how freeing and fulfilling that is, right. Does that happen though in the workplace? Are employees bringing their whole authentic selves along with their purpose into the workplace? This is such a fun conversation because it's, It's something I, I probably will always struggle with because of the work that I do. There are two parts of it, aren't there? There's the person being willing to bring themselves. Right. And then there is the environment. Is the environment one in which I feel like I can do that. Mm-hmm. And which comes first? So it's, it's this dance, isn't it? Yes. I mean, I, I think that. Both the employer and the employee has a responsibility in that. Absolutely. Right. So, and both are really important. So for me as a leader, like right now, I am building my consulting business. Mm-hmm. And I have a new team member who shared with me in the interview process that she was leaving a toxic environment. I know that she divulged that information to me. I am really sensitive and intentional about the environment that I'm creating for her. Right? She had a procedure a couple of weeks ago and so I like went into my calendar. I made a note like that she was gonna be out. I made a note the afternoon of the surgery to like follow up with her. I saw her on email that night and so I told her like, Hey, just a reminder like you are healing this week. I will respond next week and. So she, so she, she has responsibility to let me know where her head and her heart are. Mm-hmm. Which she did. I have a responsibility then to respect that information and to create an environment where she feels safe. Right. That, that I think, I think that is the key. Yeah. Right. Yes. You owning your part. Me owning my part. Right. And you shared, I love the example that you shared'cause that's. That is how relationships form. That's how you allow someone's purpose to live in, in the workforce. You have to know each other, in a meaningful way for the business. Right? Yeah. How do you do that at scale though? You know, I know it's hard, which is why the work of equipping leaders is really important. I mean, you've, you've seen the stats. Gallup tells us that 70%. Of the, uh, variance of employee engagement is attributed to the manager. Right. So the manager is in the best position to create that space. Mm-hmm. But it's, but if you think about it, it's, it's at every level. So I've done a lot of work with MasterCard. Okay. MasterCard is an interesting culture. You know, huge global organization, 30,000 plus employees around the world. Michael Miebach is the CEO and he very much models, I mean. Creating, creating a culture of transparency and communication is really important. Mm-hmm. They very much espouse, you know, honoring the diversity within the organization honoring. Each individual. And so, so it starts there. He not only espouses it, he lives it. Right. He is, that is his brand. Mm-hmm. And then they invest a lot in the development of leaders and teams and people, and. No doubt across that organization, there are managers who are not equipped to create that kind of kind of environment. Not no doubt. Right. I've been really fortunate. I've worked with them for, gosh, six years, is that right? Maybe even longer. And you know, I, I've seen all the effort go into it. I admire their willingness to invest so much in the things that they say are important. And I've seen the impact of that. I mean, I've seen people absolutely flourish as a result of being in that environment. Mm-hmm. Right. And the investment is, just to make sure I'm following, yeah. The investment that they're making, it's in their leadership development it sounds like. Yes. And team development and people development. So it plays out in lots of different ways and it's, and it's developing them, it's equipping them to be able to lead a team, in a way in which everyone can bring their authentic selves. to work. Is that, I would call it human-centered leadership. Okay. I think, and maybe if, if we could just push pause for a second and I can talk a little bit about the evolution of leadership development. Okay. So. There's a big difference between leadership. Mm-hmm. And management. Uhhuh, you know, management, I think of, and actually if you look at the roots of both of those words, the root of the word manage is. Is Manus, which is hands uhhuh. So we think about like the tactical activities of becoming a new manager. Okay, man. You know, goal setting and managing performance and performance improvement and managing a budget and scheduling time and Right. All of the, the nuts and bolts. Mm-hmm. That, that tactical work is really important because it creates structure. It creates clarity, very important work. And traditionally, like people confuse the words leadership and management. So a lot of times people will say leadership development, and that's what they're talking about. Okay. Language is important, right? And so I think we have to get really clear, leadership is influence. Okay? It's the, it's not the, the hands and feet. Of management. It is the head and the heart. So it's values-based work. It's vision work, it's, it's very intangible. It's much harder to measure. It's messy. Mm-hmm. Because it's much more about the human side. That is really the work that is important today in organizations. I feel like we've, we've gotten good at the nuts and bolts right, but what we've compromised in the process is a lot of the Who are you? Because we lead from the essence of who we are as people. We influence based on the head and the heart. We influence based on who we are and how we show up, and how we interact and the energy that we put out into the world. And so that's the work right now and that's the work that I love to do. Like that's the work of leadership development. Right. Okay. And plug in where purpose fits in that a leader who knows who they are, a leader who isn't threatened. By who other people are. Like. That's the work of human-centered leadership. Okay. And that is so supportive then of creating an environment where people can be whoever they are. Because now I'm not threatened by that, right? Yeah. Because I know who I am. Right. And I know and I know who I'm not. Right? And I'm willing to admit that and talk that. about that. And to know who you are is to know your purpose, right? Yes. Okay. Yes. Yeah. And your values and. What you stand for and Right. What, what lights you up? What doesn't light you up? Mm-hmm. For me, like the combination of all of those things is, is purpose. Yeah. So one way that purpose shows up in the workplace is through leadership development. Enabling the leaders to truly know who they are, their values, their beliefs, their purpose to, um, not be threatened by others. And in doing so, that creates an environment where the employees can show up as who they are, bring their values, their. uh, Purpose and leave their egos at home. What a great summary. And if only it was that simple. Right? You know, aren't we all, we, we are all on this journey. Mm-hmm. We are all on this growth journey. I mean, isn't that what life is, is one big growth experience, right? And so the workplace. Gosh, the workplace is such a great forum in which to explore who we are and how we tick and what our growth points are. Right? And I, I feel like that's what's happening right now is organizations are much, the appetite for those kinds of conversations is really great because there's this, there's, I think there's this cosmic readiness. So, okay, let me just get a little, let me get a little Andrea on You. Remember I started with, I've always been such a seeker. Yes, that's right. I know. So Leslie, we are entering the age of Aquarius. Did you know that? I did not. And the age of Aquarius is this transformational time at a very big cosmic spiritual level. I mean, even just saying that like no doubt your listeners and you. I Have experienced over the last year or two, what am I doing? What's important to me? Oh yeah. That, that is this, this spiritual transformation that is taking place. Mm-hmm. And so everyone is feeling some, some aspect of that. Yeah. In some way. And so there is a readiness. There's a readiness for this work. Okay. just last week I had the CEO of a transportation business say these words to me. I don't know why, but for some reason I really want to do something different. I want to help my employees be better humans. And that is a sentiment that I hear almost weekly. Yes. And so there's a, there's a readiness for organizational leaders. How do I use my business for something more? Mm-hmm. So can I. Take that in, twist it a little bit. I wish you would. Okay.'cause we've been talking a lot about what I think of as individual purpose. You know, I have my purpose. I, and I bring that into my workplace. And you have yours and you bring yours and all that. Yes. But business also has a purpose too. The business as an entity. Yes. As a purpose. Yes. And that's, that's a little bit of what I heard there too, is I want to use the business to serve a, a purpose for humanity. Be beyond making money, right? Yes. Beyond transportation needs. Yes. Can we talk about the purpose of business? Yeah. Too. How much are you seeing that in your work? Well, I naturally bring a bias towards. Purpose centered business beyond profits. It's Conscious Capitalism, I think, which is where I first met you, right? Yeah. Many, many years ago. Yeah. So people like us are naturally drawn right to that because of the work that we do. Mm-hmm. So I'm having these kinds of conversations regularly. Okay. Leaders, but I, but I also think I attract that. Yeah. So how are they weaving purpose throughout their business? Well, I would say you can't, not you, I think, I think. There are always going to be layers. Certainly, like if you think about the traditional like mission, vision, values, why the organization exists. Mm-hmm. I mean, there's always gonna be, let's use my business.'cause it's, it's the closest to me. Why do we exist? Like we provide executive coaching, executive team development. But because, because I am who I am. My purpose is to be a light naturally. I am thinking about, as I'm building my team and bringing people into my business and creating a culture that's, that's just happening, right? Because I'm intentional. Mm-hmm. And I'm thoughtful about treating the people that I work with, like humans and recognizing their humanity. Right. So. This has come up on other episodes where there's an acknowledgement that when I start the business, it's purpose driven but over time, the business loses its soul is how it came up. Mm. You know, so I'm imagining a 30, 50, 80, a hundred year old company. And gosh, does the, does the purpose get buried? Well, and but how, but isn't that interesting that the same thing happens with individuals? Mm-hmm. So I have a picture of my 8-year-old self hanging in my bedroom. So I, in December of 2023, I exited a 10 year marriage that. As a marriage in which I just lost myself, I've very much lost myself in that marriage. I take responsibility for that. So left the marriage recognized I was through 2022 and 2023. I was working with a therapist and doing a lot of work on just. Some of my patterns and some of that, like capitulating and, uh, not being, not being really honest and clear about what I want and need, particularly in close relationships. And so There was an exercise I did where I just spent some time reflecting on my eight to 10-year-old self. So I found this picture and she was like bold and untethered and free, and so I reconnected with her and so I hung that picture on my bedroom wall so that I see it every morning as a reminder. So just like organizations who lose themselves, like so do we. Yeah. And, uh, yeah, I mean, and, and is that good? Is that bad? I don't know. Is that just the experience of life? The good news is I recognized it. The good news is in these situations they recognize it and can get back to it because Right. We're doing the best we can. I didn't set out to lose myself. Mm-hmm. They didn't set out to lose the soul of the business. Right. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we've, we talked about that parallel and as we grow up there are these societal norms, these like, you should do this, you should do that. And over time, you know, they start to. to, bury your soul. Right. Yeah. And, and the business loses itself. And the, that happens in business too. Mm-hmm. You know, and I actually wonder if it's some of the management practices that happen where to, in order to create structure, which is needed in business. Yes. I know does, does some of that lose sight of, of purpose. Most definitely it does. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I ha I I don't have any answers around that. I think it just, I think where there's a culture of. Openness and just honest conversations about what people want and need. And we're working with a manufacturing facility right now, and I'm coaching several of the department heads within the manufacturing facility. And there was a leader who wanted to go to a different shift within the facility and. The primary driver behind her wanting to do that was because of childcare issues. Okay. And the business was going to make the change because they needed a good leader in this shift position. But then they found out, like just through conversations, she was honest about how that was so helpful with her. And so they asked her like, well, is that the reason you want to do this? And so then they, they put a stop to it because they said, well. We can't, we can't do that for personal reasons. Like it has to be a business need. Oh. Because if we made decisions based on everyone's personal needs, it would be, it would be too hard to manage. And it just, that felt so off. Right. To me. Yeah. That is a good example of, it's. Practices getting in the way. Yeah. So she is now very disillusioned with the organization and is definitely a flight risk as a result of that. Mm-hmm. And that mindset of, that's a story that that company tells themselves about, about. its. It's, too hard to manage all the personal interests. Right, right. And, and I did, I talked to the hr, I just, I, I, I sought to understand. Mm-hmm. I went to the HR lead and, hey, like, through conversations this has come up, I'm just curious. And she very quickly said like, yes, that is, that is our policy, right? Like, we cannot make those decisions based on personal need. Oh. And I just said, well, that would've been really helpful for her. and, and, for And for you really as a business, right? Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's, it's a great example actually.'cause I do think things like that can get in the way of people bringing their full selves to work, right? I understand there's two things balancing here. The business Yes. And the people and, and it is a balancing act. You know, it's never just static, right. It's a constant state of alignment. But it is, yeah. It's for talent and HR leaders. It's a constant like, like paradox, navigation. Mm-hmm. You've got business needs protecting the organization, mitigating risk. Mm-hmm. And then you've got people and their needs and it is. Those things are often in conflict as this, this example provides. Yeah. You know, so it's, it's understanding both perspectives. I also think it's easier in smaller organizations, right? It's easier to manage that because there's less risk. Yeah. The bigger the organization gets, the organization opens itself up and that's when we start seeing like really doubling down on it is the policy. I. Right. But if the policy sucks, then like avoid the stupid policy. Right. Exactly. Well, okay, here's a question. Do companies take the time to, to look at their policies and see if they're in alignment with their purpose. To me, that would be a purpose driven company. We're gonna be intentional about the policies, the procedures, with our purpose in mind. How do you differentiate organizational purpose with mission and vision? I, that's a great question. I have the same question. Um, I, I, and I don't know the answer. Because for me, traditionally mission is why we exist. Okay. And, and as we've been having the conversation, Leslie, I've been, I've been like, almost like interchanging those mm-hmm. Mission and purpose. And most organizations. You document and provide visibility to mission vision? Yes. I don't, I don't often see, or maybe I've just not been looking for it. Our, like, this is, this is our purpose, Uhhuh. You see the, some companies have it. Okay. You see the language. I do think mission, vision, vision is more common. Mm-hmm. Um, yeah. And values. I do. You know, now that we're having the conversation, I like, I almost think of the combination of mission, vision, values as purpose. I think all of it, because it's all different aspects of who we are as an organization. Yeah, yeah. Values come up. And in the, conversations I'm having with season two. Yeah. It's how we live our who we are. Right. What we stand for. Yeah. Yeah. How we treat each other and customers and, mm-hmm. Yeah. But let's take those, so let's put the word purpose aside. Okay. And let's call it mission. Mm-hmm. How much are companies weighing the things, the practices they put in place? Up against their mission and asking the question, are these in alignment? Yeah. I mean, I'm, I'm thinking of examples where they, they do and examples where they don't, you know, when, when, whenever there is a strong talent or HR leader, absolutely they are doing that. Okay. But it is often policies are viewed as a tactical administrative activity. I mean, there are lots of examples where I've seen people just like download a handbook, like a generic handbook and maybe spend 10 minutes updating or customizing it just so they have a handbook. Right. And then there are lots of policies that then don't make sense for them. Right? Yeah. Yeah. So, and you mentioned the HR leader, is that who? whos Owns in quotes, purpose or No? I mean, I think Or mission. What I see happening a lot are HR and talent leaders are facilitating the development of those things across the business, ensuring that those things are visible and mm-hmm. That, like that for me, mission, vision, values has got to come from the, the top. Mm-hmm. For sure. Mm-hmm. And then be something that all of the leaders are owning, right? Yes. Yeah. Which is, I, I love taking executive teams through that process of developing mission, vision, values. It's always an interesting exercise.'cause I always start personally, I think if they can see themselves in it. And put themselves in it, it's gonna have much more meaning. Right. So I'll start with a, like a personal values clarification and then, okay.'cause this is the group of people that is setting the tone. So what shared values do we have? Like if, if wherever we go, there we are, then those shared values are what really is gonna drive this organization. And so it's an interesting, it's, it's a, it's an interesting take.'cause then they're like, well, but. It's the organization. Well, well, yes, but it's who you are in the organization. Right? And these are your core values. So that's how you're gonna show up. Love that. Mm-hmm. So fast forward two years after someone does this, what are the outcomes, Yeah. When I think when done well, mission, vision, values becomes. The glue that binds all of your processes. I mean, as you said, like then, okay. Is the, are the expectations that we're setting of team members and leaders aligned with who we are and where we're going? Are we bringing people into the organization based on who we are and where we're going? Are we managing performance and coaching based on who we are and where we're going? Are we exiting people because of lack of alignment to who we are and where we're going? I think it becomes the foundation for all of our talent processes. Yeah. If done well, one of the things that came out of season one, which was focused on individuals who have clarity in their purpose and are actively pursuing it. One of the things that came out is they had rituals where they would, use the time to understand themselves. They had this real sense of self understanding, this is who I am, this is what I'm, I'm about, and they had practices that gave them that self understanding. When we think about company's mission, vision, values, are there certain rituals? That exist in business that allow the business to stay centered on their. Purpose and in alignment with them. I, I think what, what a great point you're making. I think it's having rhythms where we're giving visibility and talking about who we are and where we're going. Mm-hmm. Those bigger picture things. Yes. So, so much of the town hall and the communication are updates. Tactical things, connect them back mm-hmm. To who we are and where we're going. That provides so much more meaning for people. Right. So take existing things. Yes. And, and images are huge. So I mentioned MasterCard. The, the business operations function is a team that I've spent a lot of time with, and they're led by a brilliant leader. And they have adopted the penguin as their mascot. Oh. And so in all of their communications at team meetings, they use penguins. And that imagery creates connection and reminds people of who we are and where we're going and. And it's fun and it's unique and it's different and it sets them apart and yeah, when, and it, see, I'm, in my mind, I'm seeing it always present. Yes. Like it always has a. A place in the environment. You got it. And just that image then can remind them, yes, I'm a part of business operations and this is what we're about. Right. I love that. Yeah. So that's, that's another way. Mm-hmm. It's, it's like, it's making meaning of it. It's bringing it to life. Right. And words don't, words don't teach experiences do. Mm-hmm. Images, conjure feelings, and, um, experiences that we've had and. So it, it takes some creativity, but leaders really thinking about how do I bring this to life Right. In a meaningful way for people that they can connect with. Exactly. Yes. Okay. We've talked about, um, individual purpose and how it shows up in the workplace and how leaders. have a responsibility to foster the environment and the individuals have a responsibility of sharing, of bringing themselves, bringing themselves yes. Into the environment. Anything else on the topic of purpose in the workplace that's on your mind? You know, what's coming to mind for me is this, this sacred space that is created. I love a good Venn diagram and so my team and I have been playing with this Venn diagram as we're thinking about the impact of the leader on the organization. So imagine a Venn diagram, these three circles. One circle is the leader, one circle is the like the team, the employee base. One circle is the organization, the organization's health. I think we could put purpose in that, right? But also financial health. Absolutely. And we all wanna be a part of a winning team. So think about where those three circles overlap. There's this sacred space, like that's culture. That could also maybe, maybe that sacred space is purpose, but it requires the leader to bring themselves and to continue to grow themselves because then the growth of the leader, the team, and the organization, there's this dependency. That I'm, I'm much more able to grow as the organization and the team are growing. The team is able to grow and be better as I'm growing and the organization is doing better. And then naturally the organization grows as the leader and the team Yes. Grows. Yes. It ex That then is blowing up. It's blowing up. It's just growing, right? Yeah. But if the organization is growing at the expense of the leader in the team. Like that sacred space is not gonna grow. Exactly. Right. Yes. Gets it does require, gets all of them to grow together. Rightt growing together. Yeah. Yeah. Growing together. There's, that's good. Yes. That's good. So how do you create that though? The, the overlap of all? I know we've talked about some of this already. Well, that's why I work with executive teams because I think it starts there, you know? Yeah. I mean, it, it is also important. The emerging leader work is so important. Mm-hmm. You know, every leadership is everyone's business in the organization, but if you look at like what group or leader has the biggest impact on the culture and the environment, it is most definitely that senior team. Yeah. You know, and don't just let it exist on its own. Yes. But really have Yes. An outside party come in and work objectively with the leverage team to, to help you tell the truth. Yes. Because,'cause what's funny too is when I work in organizations and I hear them talk about their senior team, it's, it's like they think they have it figured out and everyone is struggling. There is not a CEO or a senior leader. That is feeling like so confident about who they are. And in all of the moments of their days, like no, they're questioning themselves. They feel like an imposter. They don't really know what they're doing, right. They're doubtful. And so having a, having a safe space to first acknowledge that and then navigate the struggle I once heard, um. I once heard someone say, you are only as sick as your secrets. And there's something about that I don't quite love. But what I like about it is when we suffer in silence, I know that it does so much damage to our person ourself. And so being, being willing to say like, I'm struggling here. I don't know. Right. I mean, that's, that's the huge value of executive coaching is that's the space that executive coaches create. Yes. Is you can say whatever, right. That's right. Anything else? Any other advice? It always goes back to before we hit record, you and I were talking about this, this theme of trusting yourself. Mm-hmm. And in my desire to be a light, I know that my gifting is not about like teaching anyone anything. I'm a facilitator and so. My work is always pointing people back to the truth within them. So my advice is always trust yourself. Be willing to, get quiet and listen to your internal guidance system.'cause you have all the answers you need within you. Yeah. Thank you for being on Purpose Project. Thanks for what you're doing. This is, this is such good exploration work. Yeah. I think these kinds of conversations always, I am always walking away with so many more questions, which is a good thing. Absolutely. Yeah. Thanks for what you're doing. Thank you. Appreciate you. You too.

Leslie: 43:25

After this conversation with Andrea. There was a word that just kept echoing in my mind, and that word is responsibility. I. When it comes to our personal lives, we carry the full responsibility for discovering and living our life of purpose. But in the workplace, that's different. Purpose becomes a shared responsibility. It's a collective effort. It's about creating a culture where people feel safe, supported, and seen so they can bring their whole selves to work. Their whole selves, which includes their individual purpose and that kind of environment. It doesn't happen by accident. It takes intention. It takes leadership. It takes the responsibility at the highest levels of the organization. And so if you're a part of an organization, ask yourself, what role can I play in cultivating purpose, not just for myself, but for my team and for those around me. Because when purpose is shared, it becomes something powerful. It becomes a place where people want to go and grow together. Andrea, thank you for being on Purpose Project, and thanks to all of you for tuning in. Purpose Project is brought to you for education and for entertainment purposes. This podcast is not intended to replace the advice that you would receive from a licensed therapist or doctor or any other qualified professional.