Leadership purpose reflective essay

After watching this interview, I feel that a well defined leadership purpose statement is the distinction between a good leader and a great leader. Carolyn McKnight’s interview on leadership purpose statements really opened my eyes to the power of these statements, and the time and energy one needs to put into creating a leadership purpose statement. At first it seemed that completing a statement this powerful would be a very daunting task. After watching Mrs. McKnight’s interview, I am confident in my ability to come up with a statement, and that I will have the courage to follow through with it. The most significant thing in a true leadership purpose statement is authenticity according to Mrs. McKnight. Webster’s defines authenticity as” real or genuine”. Taking this and Mrs. McKnight’s statements into account I took a minute to think about how authentic I am. I realized that I know myself well enough to know where my strengths and weaknesses lie. Another aspect of my life that makes me believe in my authenticity is that many people have told me they value my opinions. This is because I always tell them exactly how it is even when I know it is not what they want to hear. With this knowledge I am able to establish creditability and responsiveness with other people. The question was asked “How do you begin to determine leadership purpose?” Mrs. McKnight gave several examples of what one can do to find this. “What is the root of my life?” was one question she brought up that can help you find a purpose. I immediately identified the roots of my life as hard work, determination, and dedication. I attribute all my success in my life to these three principles. I started to think about failures that I have had in my life. It made me wonder if I would be able to find a place where I got off course and did not apply one of these principles. Another statement that stood out to me under this question was “Find what gives you meaning.” My achievements are what give me