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Forbes
05-08-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Purpose Over Performance: Transformational Edge Of Aligned Leadership
Lisa L. Baker, award-winning coach and Founder of Ascentim, empowers leaders to own their voice, amplify their impact, and lead on purpose. The results-driven environment in which today's leaders operate tends to condition them to measure success solely by metrics and milestones. But the uncertainty and complexity they navigate require something more: agility, creativity and the ability to inspire continuous improvement. The solution? Aligned, purpose-driven, transformational leadership. The challenge? The transformation that results from purposeful leadership doesn't always show up in KPIs or on dashboards, because transformational leadership is much more about being than doing. And all too often, the constant pressure to perform pushes leaders out of alignment with: • Who they are • What they value • Why their leadership matters I work with many impactful leaders across levels and industries. They share a strong internal compass. Their purpose grounds them, guides their values and governs their decisions. Cultivating that kind of leadership requires intention and consistent practice. Too often, leaders dive straight into execution without pausing for reflection. But growth doesn't begin with performance strategy. It starts with self-awareness—the foundation of adult learning and the starting point for meaningful transformation. When what you believe, what you value and how you lead are aligned, leadership becomes less about proving through performance and more about purpose and partnering for success. You lead with conviction. You create space for others to contribute. And while results still matter, they emerge through alignment rather than at the expense of it. In this article, I explore what aligned leadership looks and feels like, introducing a simple three-step framework to help you reconnect and realign, along with prompts to guide the process. Ultimately, I hope you lead purposefully and achieve results without losing yourself in the process. How Aligned Leadership Looks And Feels While alignment occurs internally, its effects are displayed externally. Those closest to the leader (family, friends, direct reports) are the first to notice. Alignment looks like: • Pausing to consider the intentions and impacts before taking action • Exploring what's possible rather than driving for perfection • Seeking diverse perspectives to prepare for opportunities and solve problems Misalignment, however, is often subtle and may take time to surface. But leaders usually notice it first as: • Reluctance to make a decision when it really counts • Unease before, during or after crucial conversations • Disconnection from work or activities that used to be energizing In coaching sessions, I hear some leaders describe it as lingering exhaustion, even after having a good night's sleep. Others say, despite accolades and accomplishments, that they feel "something is missing." Why Does Aligned Leadership Matter? People, processes and organizations are positively impacted by aligned, transformational leadership. When done well, it creates the clarity and connection people need to thrive. But when leaders are unclear internally, the ambiguity spreads outward. Teams begin to mirror the instability, responding to signals that feel reactive rather than purposeful. According to Gallup's 2025 "State of the Global Workplace" report, employee engagement plummeted to 21%, due in part to disconnection from purpose and leadership. That's why it matters. Leadership alignment is more than a soft skill; it's a strategic advantage that drives employee engagement and performance. So, what can you do when you start to notice the tell-tale signs that you're out of sync with your purpose? How To Reflect And Realign: A Simple Three-Step Framework It's clear: Transformational leadership flourishes when your beliefs, values and behaviors align. We've discussed how purpose-aligned leadership shows up and why it matters. Now, let's review a simple but profound three-step framework you can use to reflect and realign. Your beliefs shape how you live and lead. And they serve as the filter through which you perceive everything: yourself, others, challenges, opportunities, even your leadership. If you believe leadership is about control, you'll clutch the reins tightly. If you view it as a service, you'll show up with generosity and humility. Often, beliefs are rooted in old, false narratives. The key is to examine what you believe to determine what still serves you. And what limits your growth in ways that you may not have realized. Reflect: • What assumptions guide how I lead, succeed and value myself? • Do my beliefs empower me, or are they relics from a past I've outgrown? Values are the internal drivers for decision-making. Therefore, it's essential to clarify your "why." Clarity helps you easily determine what matters, who matters and where you draw the line. Upholding your values grounds your leadership in integrity. Reflect: • What truly matters to me in work, in life, in how I lead? • Where do I live my values clearly, and where do I compromise them? Habits are where alignment becomes visible. They're the daily actions that either strengthen or erode credibility. Many leaders know what they believe and value, but they often feel out of sync when it comes to their calendars, competing priorities and energy levels. Start small. Realign one choice at a time. Then build a rhythm. Reflect: • Do my routines reflect the leader I aspire to be? • Where can I more closely align my aspirations with my actions? Final Thoughts Alignment isn't a destination; it's a disciplined practice. The head, heart, hands framework is surprisingly simple. However, it can be transformative when put into practice. Finally, leading with purpose shows steadiness and clear direction and earns trust through consistency. When there's alignment between who you are, what you believe and how you lead, it creates the conditions for psychological safety, deep engagement and meaningful performance. Honor the best in yourself and make room for others to do the same. That's where transformation becomes possible. Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
Forbes
04-08-2025
- Business
- Forbes
20 Ways Executives Ignore Leadership Challenges—And Why It's Risky
getty From hybrid schedules and technology shifts to growing employee concerns around purpose, trust and well-being, workplace expectations are changing in myriad ways that directly affect how leaders operate. In response, some executive leaders are staying heads-down, focused on day-to-day demands, short-term priorities and putting out fires. While it might seem prudent, that kind of reactive focus can come at a cost: Deeper issues may go unnoticed until they've already impacted performance, retention or long-term growth. Here, 20 Forbes Coaches Council members share challenges that many leaders are struggling to address right now, along with the risks of ignoring them and leaving these issues unresolved. 1. Focusing Only On What's Happening Now Uncertainty paralyzes innovation. Many leaders are waiting for stability to pursue growth, risking stagnation. But shifting from 'What's happening now?' to 'What's possible next?' empowers leaders to rally their teams, envision multiple futures and begin preparing for what could be. It's not predicting the future; it's creating the capacity to meet it confidently. - Lisa L. Baker, Ascentim 2. Rushing To Invest; Overlooking Existing Resources Leadership ignores the pause and thinks holistically. With FOMO driving them to 'keep up,' companies keep investing more in the tech stack for new services, totally ignoring the optimization of the investment already made. At times, services already exist but go unused, and leaders are unaware. It goes against both an organization's environment and its financials. - Nav Thethi, The Nav Thethi 3. Ignoring A Growing Lack Of Employee Trust There is a growing lack of trust in their leaders among employees. Layoffs, the dismantling of DEI efforts, return-to-office mandates and smaller (or no) pay increases or bonuses are all contributing to employees' lack of trust. As leaders, we need to be aware of our employees' concerns, address them openly and honestly, and show the integrity our employees need to see. - John Cleveland Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify? 4. Failing To Focus On Adaptability And Agility Leaders today are struggling to focus on adaptability: navigating change with clarity and agility. Ignoring this risk erodes resilience, delays decisions and weakens competitive edge. In today's fast-changing environment, adaptability is not a soft skill; it's the core of sustainable leadership. - Mehmet Egilmezer, International Coaching Education Group LLC 5. Treating AI Like A Buzzword; Not Focusing On Use Cases There's too much focus on AI as a buzzword, but not enough focus on real use cases that generate tangible results. You can't ignore this discussion either, as someone will get it right, and it could be your competition. Build momentum with one to three solid use cases and work them to success. Take the learnings to build other use cases. One positive side effect is the employee engagement built in the process. - Curtis L. Jenkins, Jenkins & Associates 6. Losing Engagement With Virtual Audiences Five years ago, the business world discovered it had to do business on Zoom, Teams and other platforms. Even five years later, so many leaders are bad at video presence. That means that people in meetings zone out, misunderstand or don't appreciate priorities. Hybrid meetings are worse. So a key leadership challenge is to keep virtual audiences engaged. That takes effort, energy and intentionality. - Helio Fred Garcia, Logos Consulting Group 7. Neglecting Personal Branding And Influence Focusing on their communication skills, building their personal brand and having a consistent influence are challenges for today's business leaders. The risks: Their messages are misunderstood, which impacts productivity, employee morale and profits. They risk jeopardizing their personal brand, damaging their trust, confidence, impact and credibility. They damage their relationships and influence their top performers to leave. - Stacey Hanke, Stacey Hanke Inc. 8. Not Helping People Live Their Purpose One big issue is that people want to live their purpose, and organizations don't get what that means, nor do they realize the risks of ignoring it—unfulfilled employees mean an impact on profit and overall success. A simple focus by leadership on listening, paying attention and pointing people to where they are already interested will remind them of their passion and will give them energy for their work. Try it! - Darla Beam, Darla Beam Leadership & Coaching 9. Being Busy To The Point Of Saturation (And Dilution) Leaders today are not just busy—they're saturated. Saturation leads to dilution: of clarity, of presence and of power. And when leaders are diluted, so is their impact. But most don't realize it because they're still producing. They are still performing—which is exactly why it's so dangerous. The risk isn't just burnout. It's misdirected energy, frustration, stagnation, poor decisions and loss of talent. - Gia Lacqua, Gia Lacqua 10. Struggling To Adapt To A Faster Pace Of Business The rapid pace of business today is consistently working against the plans of leadership. The persistent dilemma of choosing to sprint versus going at it like a marathon is a real issue for organizations. Technology and consumer demands have significantly raised the bar for turnaround times, and leadership has had to adapt to quicker execution plans to meet new expectations and standards. - Stefanie Ricchio, SRBC Inc. 11. Reacting Instead Of Leading Leaders are struggling to slow down long enough to think. In Navy SEAL training, they say go slow to go fast. But in today's urgency culture, leaders skip reflection and taking the time to zoom out—and end up reacting instead of leading. The risk? Burnout, poor decisions and teams running hard in the wrong direction. Slowing down isn't a luxury—it's a leadership discipline. - Jodie Charlop, Exceleration Partners 12. Prioritizing Short-Term Results; Losing Talent The constant pressure for short-term results is contributing to widespread burnout and declining employee engagement. Leaders often overlook the true cost of turnover, which can exceed 150% of an employee's salary. The hidden risk is that valuable organizational knowledge and culture built over years quietly disappear as experienced talent exits. - Christine Daniels, Christine Daniels LLC 13. Poorly Communicating With Different Personalities Being able to communicate effectively with team members who have different personalities is a challenge. Not everyone thinks or communicates as you do as a leader. Build your skill set of recognizing the communication styles of your team members and pivoting to meet their emotional needs. Identify their unique traits and focus on getting them to reach their full potential, as it's not a paint-by-numbers process. - Bryan Powell, Executive Coaching Space 14. Not Prioritizing Leadership Development Many CEOs are struggling to prioritize leadership team development amid deal delays and mounting pressure from investors. Ignoring it risks poor performance, failed exits and lost value. Investors expect CEOs to navigate what's next, not just survive it. In uncertain markets, leadership versatility isn't optional—it's the lever that drives alignment, resilience and returns. - Dan Hawkins, Summit Leadership Partners 15. Fostering Insufficient Psychological Safety One major challenge business leaders face is creating psychological safety in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. If ignored, team members may withhold ideas, avoid taking risks and disengage, leading to poor collaboration, less innovation and weakened team performance. To overcome this, start by listening actively and making it safe for people to speak up without fear of judgment. - Weixi Tan, Workplace Asia 16. Ignoring Employee Well-Being A big issue that is often ignored is employee well-being. How people feel about themselves, their workplace, work itself and the people they work with plays a crucial role in their engagement, performance and loyalty. At the same time, this is also true for those in leadership positions. Unfortunately, it is still seen as a 'soft' factor many times, leading to burnout and (quiet) quitting. - Thomas Gelmi, Movadis AG 17. Neglecting To Meaningfully Connect With Teams One issue that leaders are finding it hard to focus on is making meaningful time with their leadership and downstream teams to focus on the 'why' and to connect the priorities back to the vision. One-on-ones are cancelled, there is low attendance at leadership sessions, and the 'busy' factor is keeping leaders from understanding what and how their teams are operating and where gaps need to be addressed. - Laurie Waligurski, LGW Executive Consultants, LLC 18. Overlooking A Cognitive Bandwidth Shortage Most leaders are ignoring cognitive bandwidth. In a world of overwhelm, attention is the new oil. Miss this, and you burn out teams, bury innovation and bleed momentum. Train your focus like a muscle. Otherwise, distraction becomes your culture. - Adam Levine, InnerXLab 19. Allowing Hybrid Disengagement To Deepen Hybrid work disengagement erodes morale and productivity. Leaders must combat this by prioritizing empathy, crystal-clear communication and inclusive strategies to keep teams aligned and motivated in this new work reality. Failure risks a significant performance decline. - Maryam Daryabegi, Innovation Bazar 20. Not Developing Structured Remote Training One of the issues leaders face today is the lack of structured training for early-career employees. The bottom rung of the ladder is often broken, especially in hybrid workplaces, where new hires may miss out on shadowing and real-time learning opportunities. Without clear in-person and remote training for all employees, we continue to burn through talent who don't see a path forward. - Jill D. Griffin, The Griffin Method
