Trading 1,000 Hats for Roles With Purpose

Today, leaders feel enormous pressure to take on many different roles. Is that really a good thing? How can you decide what positions really are ideal for you? Episode 19 of Faithful on the Clock offers a list of questions to help you choose hats that really matter.Timestamps:[00:05] - Intro[00:39] - There is a trend for professionals to wear many different hats. It’s unusual not to see a list of positions or responsibilities in profiles.[01:37] - I am a supporter that you can do multiple things you love, especially because you continue to learn and develop over the course of your life.[02:21] - Our practice of wearing so many hats likely is built on a culture of fear. We don’t wear them because we want to. We wear them because we feel obligated. That’s not good because it can make priorities unclear in a way that robs you of a real sense of purpose and joy.[03:34] - The stories of Moses, Esther, Joseph, and others reveal that God has your roles planned out and that He will equip you to perform in them.[04:53] - You might not always know if a role is one God would want for you. Pray and ask Him for guidance as a first step.[05:49] - List of 7 self-awareness questions for discerning good roles[08:45] - The list of questions is a good start for figuring out which roles are appropriate for you.[09:15] - Rather than limit yourself to a specific number of roles or match someone else, ask yourself basic self-care questions and look at your results to see if you’ve taken on too much.[10:21] - Prayer[11:22] - Outro/What’s coming up nextKey takeaways:Currently, there is a trend for professionals to take on a lot of different roles, such as author, speaker, etc.I believe you can have multiple passions and talents. But I think contemporary culture has reached the point where taking on multiple roles is fear-driven, not passion-driven. That does people a disservice by creating unnecessary stress, lowering results, and depriving them of a sense of purpose.The stories of Moses, Esther, Joseph, and others show that God has your roles planned out, while the story of the building of the temple reveals He will provide the skills and talents necessary to do your work. You might not be sure if you should take a role, even if you have a strong gut feeling about it. Make sure you don’t move forward until you have asked God to show you where He wants you.You can use specific questions to gain self-awareness about which roles you might thrive in. Those include the following:What will taking on the role deliver back to me?How might this new role interfere with my current ones?Is the role consistent with my personal values and vision for the future?Are the people I would work with enjoyable to be around and able to present healthy challenges for me?Does the idea of taking on the role fill me with a sense of energy, or do I just think about whether I am technically and logistically capable?Are there roles I currently am in that could be revised to provide similar benefits?What feedback am I getting from others? Do they just say it’s a good opportunity, or do they point out specific, non-technical reasons why I would enjoy the work? Is there a real sense of urgency from them that I get involved?There is no one-size-fits all recommendation for how many roles is “good”. Ask yourself basic self-care questions and look at the results you’re getting to decide if you’ve taken on too much.7 Questions to Ask Before Taking on a RoleWhat will taking on the role deliver back to me?How might this new role interfere with my current ones?Is the role consistent with my personal values and vision for the future?Are the people I would work with enjoyable to be around and able to present healthy challenges for me?Does the idea of taking on the role fill me with a sense of energy, or do I just think about whether I am technically and logistically capable?Are there roles I currently am in that could be revised to provide similar benefits?What feedback am I getting from others? Do they just say it’s a good opportunity, or do they point out specific, non-technical reasons why I would enjoy the work? Is there a real sense of urgency from them that I get involved?Relevant Links:The Era of the Specialist Is OverCTAs:Ask God to show you if you should take a role.Use the provided seven questions as guardrails for making decisions about which hats you should wear.What’s coming up next:Virtually all companies are striving to include people of varying backgrounds, ethnicities, races, and cultures. Unfortunately, most of those efforts fall short. Why is this happening, and what can your company do to succeed with diversity and inclusion? That’s covered in Episode 20 of Faithful on the Clock.