In the first article of this series, published last month, we explored the two keywords of the concept of purposeful leadership: purposefulness and leadership. As I mentioned earlier, I allow the series to unfold as in the process of finding purposefulness. Being purposeful means creating a positive impact on the people and environment one encounters (De Silva, 2024). As I reflected on this series, the idea of writing about the three branches of purposeful leadership emerged.

I use the metaphor of ‘branches’ rather than categories, boxes, or containers because I see the three core areas of purposeful leadership growing in unison, but at different speeds and proportions, much like the branches of a tree. The bigger branches grow stronger but perhaps more slowly, while the smaller branches grow faster but are not as strong. However, all branches, big or small, have a purpose in the growth of the tree.

The logo of the new company, Purposeful Leadership (Pvt) Ltd., formed to provide space for the idea of purposeful leadership and like-minded catalysts to grow purposefully, also depicts the three branches. The logo, used as the visual for this article, features three branches in the colours blue, green, and gold. At Purposeful Leadership, our logo is more than a visual identity – it’s a reflection of our philosophy: developing purposeful leaders who inspire positive change at every level. Our logo symbolises our commitment to empowering individuals, teams, and organisations to achieve growth through a purposeful mindset. To us, purposefulness means living and leading in a way that contributes to the flourishing of life, grounded in decent human values. More details about our company, its philosophy, and its purpose can be found on our website, www.purposefulleadershipco.com. The three branches represent our core focus areas.

The First Branch: Purposeful Self Leadership

The first branch, Purposeful Self Leadership, represented by the colour blue, focuses on individuals. Blue embodies generosity, trust, confidence, and clarity. It encourages self-awareness and purposeful growth, laying the foundation for impactful leadership. Individuals presented with opportunities and challenges in their lives are compelled to transform themselves to stay relevant. Such transformation is most effective when conducted purposefully. Being purposeful means creating a positive impact on oneself as a foundation for other branches of purposefulness.

The Second Branch: Purposeful People Leadership

The second branch, Purposeful People Leadership, represented by the colour green, symbolises teams. Green stands for relationships, collaboration, harmony, and collective growth. It reflects our belief in purposeful, people-centric leadership that fosters collective success for all stakeholders. People leaders, when faced with opportunities and challenges in their roles, must transform their leadership approach to stay relevant. Such transformation is most effective when conducted purposefully. Being purposeful means creating a positive impact on the people the organisation and business encounter, especially team members.

The Third Branch: Purposeful Business Leadership

The third branch, Purposeful Business Leadership, represented by the colour gold, symbolises organisations and businesses. Gold signifies success, ambition, and transformation guided by a greater purpose rather than merely a vision. It conveys strategic alignment and impactful leadership, driving sustainable organisational excellence. Organisational and business leaders, especially when facing opportunities and challenges, must transform their leadership approach to stay relevant. Such transformation is most effective when conducted purposefully. Being purposeful means creating a positive impact on and through the organisation and business a leader is concerned with.

The colour transition from blue to green illustrates how personal purpose leads to effective team collaboration. Progressing from green to gold symbolises how purposeful teams cultivate organisational success and impactful leadership. Our logo encapsulates our vision of purpose-driven leadership that elevates individuals, empowers teams, and transforms organisations – inspiring purposeful change that resonates far beyond the workplace.

I invite you to reflect on your purposefulness at the three levels to identify areas for improvement. In your quest for enhancement, consider examining your own ideas, relevant literature, and resources, especially from this blog and personal website, www.ranjandesilva.com. Additionally, discussing your thoughts with a trusted advisor can provide valuable insights. We will further explore each branch of purposeful leadership and methods of transformation in the upcoming blog posts.

References

De Silva, R. L. G. (2024). Living Purposefully: An Inquiry into the Life of a Leadership Development Practitioner. (Doctoral dissertation, Hult Ashridge).