Are you on a mission?

Originally published in BowerPower Papers.  Get on the list so you don't miss an issue.

This past fall, a friend of mine joined the board of an organization he is super passionate about. 

 

At one of his first board meetings, another director pulled him aside and cautioned that “things don’t move too quickly around here.”

 

As an entrepreneur and former business CEO, my friend’s alarm bells went off. “This board,” he thought, “is not on a mission.”

 

Whether your organization is a nonprofit or a mission-driven small, mid-size, or larger company, not really being on a mission is riskier than you might think.

 

• Your organization will never fulfill its mission.
• Supporters (donors, funders, investors, board members, alliance partners) and customers won’t trust you when it comes to your mission.
• You’ll be surrounded by others who cling to the status quo, and no one will call bull$@&!.

Your reputation, revenue, and culture—not to mention those you serve—suffer.

The good news? It’s a new year, and you can recalibrate.

 

Maybe 2019 was a tough year. 

 

I can tell you, it was for me. Now it’s over. I’m releasing 2019, thanking it for all I learned, and I’m reenergized about where I’m going in the 2020s. How about you?

 

Maybe your organization is in a transition—leadership change, new strategy, new direction. Awesome. 

 

It’s the perfect time to gather up your energy, get clear, and launch.

 

Maybe you’re in the wrong job. Or tackling a mission that no longer holds value. Or working for a soul-sucking company that has no mission.

 

Maybe it’s the perfect time to jump ship and start fresh. Head to an organization where passion, purpose, and profitability seem to radiate from the building.

 

So what would that energy look like?

 

What does it mean to be on a mission?

 

Check these ten signs that I’ve noticed about the clients and leaders with whom I work. 

 

How many describe you and your organization?

1. You’re restless for solutions.
2. You’re optimistic and driven like an entrepreneur to solve a problem.
3. You have a vision for life beyond the resolution and remain undauntedby its magnitude.
4. Your communication about that mission is infectious.
5. Your energy is magnetic, and people are drawn to you to join in.
6. Your fearlessness allows you to weigh risk, make decisions, and take action.
7. You’re clear about when to say no.
8. You don’t get distracted with outputs. Instead you dive to the root and focus on outcomes.
9. Carpe diem are words you live by.
10. You are equally adept at crafting a business model that drives change.

 

What else characterizes your mission-driven organization? Or your personal sense of mission?

 

Take 10 minutes to reflect: What may be holding back your organization from feeling this driven? What can you do about it?