While this article focuses on CEOs, there is much to be learned for everyone on creating a personal mission statement
Written by: Melody Wilding
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You likely have a company mission statement, a short declaration of your organization’s purpose. Tesla’s mission statement, for example, is “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” For Google, it’s: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
A corporate mission statement is useful because it describes your business’s reason for existence and rallies your team around a shared goal and vision. It can also inspire customers to choose your company over competitors. Consider this: U.S. consumers are over 80% more likely to have a positive image of, trust in, and be loyal to brands that lead with purpose.
While it’s clear that mission statements deliver value at the business level, it’s also crucial to use them as a tool in your day-to-day leadership. A personal mission statement is much like a corporate mission statement: it’s a code of conduct that defines your convictions, what you stand for, and how to lead in a way that embodies your values.
In other words, a thoughtful, well-written personal mission statement becomes your individual definition of success—an expression of your “why.” Think of your personal mission statement like a compass that navigates you toward your deepest motivations.
Benefits of a Personal Mission Statement
Your personal mission statement isn’t meant to be written once then stowed away in your desk to gather dust. Rather, it’s meant to shape your actions as an executive on a daily basis and helps you attract and retain customers and team members who are aligned with your approach to life and business. There are also a number of benefits to writing down your own personal mission statement.
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