Leading with Purpose in a Constantly Changing World

In today’s workplace, the expectations placed on leaders have shifted. Technical skill and operational efficiency are no longer enough. In a world marked by rapid change, ongoing uncertainty, and heightened employee expectations, Purposeful Leadership is now a necessity of high-performing organizations — and the leaders at all levels who drive them.

What Is Purposeful Leadership? 

Unlike transactional or hierarchical leadership styles, Purposeful Leadership prioritizes meaning, values, and long-term impact. While performance and short-term results matter, they are not the only measures. The higher a leader rises, the more their impact is defined by their ability to inspire and develop others. A first-time manager might balance their individual contributions with those of their team. However, as they matriculate toward an executive-level position in an organization, the work of the teams they lead becomes a larger reflection of their leadership. 

“A leader is defined by the people on their team,” says Tamla Oates-Forney, CEO of SHRM Linkage. “You can have deep expertise and still be an ineffective leader. One of the most important things you can do as a leader is build empowered and high-performing teams.” 

The Purposeful Leadership framework begins with personal clarity around your vision — your “why” — and aligns that vision with your organization’s broader mission — the organization’s “what.” SHRM Linkage’s Purposeful Leadership Model is grounded in five core commitments: Inspire, Innovate, Achieve, Engage, and Become. These actions guide not only how leaders show up but how they shape culture, strategy, and performance.

Of these, the most challenging is often “Become,” where you commit to your own personal growth and development. It is also gaining self-awareness of your ability to influence people through coaching, while understanding that learning doesn’t have an end point. “If you are becoming, it implies that the journey is continual,” explained Oates-Forney. “The C-suite shouldn’t be where the learning stops.”  

For senior executives, this might look like expanding their knowledge beyond the C-suite to better work with boards and serve in an external-facing capacity. This commitment to learning invites leaders to remain open to change, challenge, and growth, especially amid the uncertainty of today’s business environment.

A purpose-centered approach is particularly relevant in the current evolving talent landscape. With employees expecting greater flexibility, authenticity, and inclusion from their employers, leaders must be equipped to lead in ways that reflect these changing norms. 

Development Solution: Beyond The Suite

What Purposeful Leadership Looks Like in Practice

Purposeful leaders provide clarity of direction — especially when the path forward is unclear. In a world moving from “MapQuest to Waze,” leaders must navigate change in real time, adapting quickly and bringing others along with them, said Oates-Forney. However, “some leaders are still operating with a Rand McNally Road Atlas,” she added. Purposeful Leadership is less like a map and more like a GPS — it adapts to conditions, adjusts course, and still gets the team where they need to go.  

From mid-level to executive, these leaders understand how to drive transformation while minimizing disruption. They balance empathy with accountability. And they make the hard decisions when needed — such as when a team member’s journey no longer aligns with the organization’s direction.

Development Solution: Accelerate

What It Unlocks in Organizations 

When Purposeful Leadership is embedded in the culture, the effects are both broad and deep. Oates-Forney explains that purposeful leaders can yield positive business impact in areas such as improved customer engagement and employee retention. A Purposeful Leadership assessment identifies any gaps that hold leaders back from supporting these and other positive business outcomes.

“We often underestimate the cost of turnover,” Oates-Forney said. “Soft skills like leadership are hard to measure, but they’re like air — you know when they’re missing.” 

As expectations evolve, organizations need leaders at all levels who are not just skilled — but self-aware, growth-minded, mission-aligned, and committed to becoming better.