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What Does Purpose-Driven Leadership Really Mean?

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Today, we have a greater set of expectations of our leaders that goes beyond delivering bottom-line performance. What I’m seeing emerge are leaders who set the pace, effectively turning inspiration into action. They achieve the best possible results, not just by communicating their expectations clearly, but by showing others what these expectations look like in practice. In other words, these are people who walk the talk.

The sooner leaders adopt a management style that embraces collaboration, the better prepared they will be for the tidal wave of change that is to come. With Gen Z arriving in droves, today’s business environment is the first to include five different generations working side by side. Bridging the gaps between different groups (generational or otherwise) is the glue that will hold organizations together through evolving times, and fostering a culture of belonging from the top is where it all begins. 

To explore the power of purpose-driven leadership, I recently spoke with Shiv Khemka, Vice Chairman of the SUN Group Global, and Chairman of The Global Education and Leadership Foundation. Here are a few of his lessons on how leaders can walk the talk.


What makes a good leader? 

Shiv Khemka: A good leader has four main qualities. The first is a basic set of leadership skills. The second is the ability to take risks and decisive action. Third, they need to have an ethical and moral code. Fourth and perhaps most importantly is about altruism — the greatest leaders treat everyone as if they are part of their own families.

Over the course of your career, have you seen the definition of an ideal leader evolve?

Shiv: We need to think more carefully about what leadership really means. Just because it's difficult to define leadership doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. We need to be able to define what type of leadership we expect from our leaders. When we put a name to it, we can show where we stand and what we demand. And if our leaders don’t meet the expectations we have set, then we have to ask ourselves whether we’re going to continue to support them and whether they have what it takes to lead. 

Many leaders are taking a stand on social issues. Taking a stand is one thing, backing that statement up with intentional action is another. What do you think?

Shiv: Real leaders, like Mahatma Gandhi (someone I greatly admired), practice what they preach. The way in which they lived was consistent with what they thought. What they said and what they did was in harmony, not opposition. 

“Real leadership requires a lot of self-awareness and continuous self-reflection.”

If a leader feels strongly about a cause—whether it’s climate change, gender equality, or discrimination—and they can convey their message with authenticity, then I think they should. I think it’s a good thing as long as they're not trying to just sell their audience, that’s when trust is lost. Real leadership requires a lot of self-awareness and continuous self-reflection. 

Why is it so important to engage with the next generation? How can leaders do that? 

Shiv: The next generation is still trying to figure out what type of world they want to live in. ‘The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not enough for everyone’s greed,’ as Mahatma Gandhi once said.

We need a shift in mindset — and it’s already started to happen. The whole sharing economy that has emerged is changing the way people think. More and more young people are starting to understand that there's plenty for everyone.

“As a leader, we can set an example for younger generations by demonstrating the value of compassion, understanding that we’re one human family, and thinking of ourselves as custodians of our planet’s health.” 

With 8% of the planet sharing 83% of the planet's wealth, there’s a lot of inequity on the planet. That's clearly not a sustainable model. If we all start thinking about how to lead this planet in a direction that makes it more sustainable and less contentious, we can make a difference. As a leader, we can set an example for younger generations by demonstrating the value of compassion, understanding that we’re one human family, and thinking of ourselves as custodians of our planet’s health. Lead with a custodial mindset.

Tell me about the best or most memorable leadership lesson you've ever learned.

Shiv: I went to a very strict boarding school in England. One night, I stayed up later than I should have. My housemaster walked into my room and said, ‘How dare you? You need to go to bed and, tomorrow, you're going to be punished.’

A senior boy in the room next door decided to intervene. He came in and said to the housemaster, ‘I'm terribly sorry, sir. But, I gave Shiv permission to stay up late.’

At 17, he was the captain of the house and had authority that I didn’t as a 13-year-old. When the headmaster left, the boy turned to me and said, ‘Don't worry, Shiv. I'll deal with this tomorrow. It’s no problem.’ Then, he told me, ‘Keep working. I know you have an exam tomorrow.’

It was such a small and random act of kindness, but the compassion he showed in that moment, his willingness to take the fall and stick his neck out for me—it has stayed with me 45 years later.


What is clear is that wisdom doesn't come from the top-down or from the bottom-up. Bits and bites of knowledge come from all around. If we want our organizations to succeed long-term, then we need our people to thrive. Great things are possible when we listen, learn, grow, and stretch with one another across generations.

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