Tip #53: Speak with Genuine Conviction and Purpose

If you are like most higher education leaders, your purpose is to have an impact and make a difference in your organization. Consider the story of the “Two Bricklayers.” One sees her job as just “laying bricks every day,” while the other says to others, “I’m helping to build a cathedral.” Exemplary leaders speak passionately with their teams about the “cathedral” they are building together.

Try this at your next team meeting. Begin a conversation about the impact your team has on others. Ask, “How does our work benefit our students, our colleagues from other departments, and our organization as a whole?” The goal is to make the larger meaning of what you do visible.