With the Developmental Mindset, Learning to Serve Noble Purpose Never Ends
“We must all face the choice between what is right, and what is easy.”
With nearly forty years of service to her community behind her, Dr. Williams had nothing left to prove in her career. She had become one of the first Black American females to achieve her MD in her generation. She had progressed into a high-ranking leadership role in a county-wide clinic that serves thousands within a highly populated metropolitan area. She had served several consecutive terms as President of her professional association, well-respected at a nationwide level. And, most recently, she had impacted countless lives as Chief Medical Officer of multiple health services systems at regional and state levels. Now approaching the age of 70, it was time to downshift into the sunset of her career, consider her retirement plans, and begin to imagine a new life chapter with less pressure, more freedom, and a more moderate pace. At least, that was what was supposed to happen.
The day before she was planning to depart for an extended vacation with her husband, she was summoned by her boss, the CEO of the health system for which she served. He said that there was something fairly important he wanted to discuss with her before she departed on vacation. Though it was not at all unusual to be called unexpectedly to her boss’s office, for some reason, this felt different. She dropped what she was doing and headed to his office. Upon arrival, they exchanged some pleasantries, addressed a few outstanding items of business, and then he abruptly shifted the conversation.
“I imagine you are wondering why I called you here.”
“Well, as a matter of fact, yes, I am.”
He chuckled and said, “I wanted to talk to you about something important related to our organization before you went on vacation. As you are well aware, our position of COO has been vacant for some time now. We just have not been able to find the right person to fill this very critical position for us. I have given it serious thought, and I would like you to take on this position. The more I considered our needs, the more I was convinced that nobody else could do it as well as you. You have the knowledge and respect of everyone in our organization. You are a highly-regarded collaborative partner in our external community. And, there is nobody I personally trust more than you.”
It might have been the longest pause in a conversation that they had ever experienced in 25 years of knowing each other.
“Wow. I did not see that coming! I don’t know what to say.”
He laughed and concluded the brief conversation by recognizing the moment. “I know that this is a lot to take in. But I hope that you give it some serious consideration. I know you are about to head out tomorrow for a week. Get away from here, clear your head, and then come back and we can continue the conversation. Are you willing to do that?”
“Sure, of course. Thank you. I am honored that you asked.”
The two of them wished each other well, exchanged a few jovial words, and she walked out to more fully absorb what she was going to do with this colossal question that her boss just landed on her.
We will not often know when and where the call of development toward our noble purpose will come. Sometimes it takes form as a quiet but persistent inner voice pulling us toward something we don’t fully understand. Sometimes it takes the form of a vivid dream, at night or in the daytime, that brings intense feelings of joy, passion, peace, or aliveness. Or, like the story of Dr. Williams, a call may come from an unexpected moment or event. Usually, it is not fully apparent to us when the calling arrives. How do we know when it is a call and when it is a distraction from our path of purpose? The key process to engage in to answer this question is to attune, which simply means to listen deeply in a focused manner; and to discern, which means to make decisions based on sound judgment. Let’s explore how Dr. Williams handled this moment as an example of how to properly attune and discern the call of development toward noble purpose.
Provided with a compelling proposition from her boss, Dr. Williams was faced with a decision she did not expect to make at this stage of her life and career. And it was most definitely a different direction than she had ever imagined. As a physician and executive leader, it was not the first time she had been tapped for something big. Over the years she had built skills in knowing how to respond in surprise moments, while creating the right conditions for personal reflection to occur. In the ensuing days, weeks, and months, Dr. Williams would frequently find herself in the midst of an inner tug-of-war. On one hand, there were many questions she asked based on skepticism, worry, and doubt, such as: “What am I supposed to do with this? Why did this come up now, when everything seemed to be so clearly laid out? How could I possibly say “yes” to a demanding new role like this at this stage of life? What about my husband’s health? What about my health? Would taking this role take the last capable years of my life? Will I fail?”
On the other hand, there was something compelling and energizing about the opportunity, which seemed ripe with possibility. In those moments, she would ask questions like: “How might this position help me to fulfill my personal mission to serve others? How might this position help me to make an even larger impact? What things have I not been able to do that this opportunity could enable? Whose lives will be impacted by the person who fills this role? What new learning and change awaits me and the community if I were to take this on? What is the greatest possible outcome?”
With so many questions swirling in her mind, Dr. Williams did not know how to step into this decision. She started by consulting her most trusted people to weigh in on what she should do. There was no shortage of opinions, as all of the people in her life had personal investments in her in some way. While the inputs were often helpful, they did not do anything to quell the vast assortment of voices she was hearing in her own head as to what she should or should not do. Which voice would be the winner in this fevered contest of advice?
Her day-to-day life as an executive, physician, community leader, wife, mother, and grandmother was quite hectic. Long ago, she had mastered quick-fix decision-making, and this enabled her to handle an extraordinary amount of tasks and responsibilities in any given circumstance. In fact, this was one of the primary reasons for her long-term success. But this moment called for something monumentally different. So it was perhaps serendipitous that Dr. Williams was already heading on an extended vacation after being given the offer from her boss.
The inherent spaciousness that vacation time brought served Dr. Williams well. She slowed her pace; immersed herself in beautiful nature-filled surroundings; laughed and enjoyed the time with her husband; and led herself to a place of inner calm. She let go of all of the voices, the stress, the hyper-activity, and steadily became still and present with her environment. She began to feel an enormous gratitude for her life to this point, deeply experiencing how privileged she was to be in this position. She knew deeply that whatever she decided, she was still going to be able to serve others in a truly meaningful way; and that was always the bottom line for Dr. Williams. But there was something uniquely different about this decision point. She continued to open herself up to a broader and deeper perspective as she considered the collective whole she was a part of.
In the past, Dr. Williams had not always considered well-being as fully as she could. Rather than seeing this moment as just a career decision, she carefully attuned to health in the equation - for herself, for her loved ones, and for those she would serve. She and her husband were entering a later stage in life. Both of them had begun to experience physical health issues, with her husband still working through a recent stroke. Life was telling her at this moment that she couldn’t ignore health and her primary relationship anymore.
As the spacious time on her vacation continued, she deeply reflected, contemplated, appreciated, and considered her whole life. She truly didn’t need this job. A new career direction at age 70? It didn’t make sense. She could very easily fade into the sunset and live a happily retired life while still serving her communities in meaningful ways. Yet, there was a life-giving voice inside her that would not go away. It said to her that this new challenge would also give her a whole new way to serve others, in a new role as systems and culture builder for an important health engine within her region. On the other hand, she would not ignore the real needs of her whole life - herself, her husband, and her family. She carefully held these tensions as she aimed to make a discerning decision on the way forward.
After much careful contemplation, the day prior to returning to work, Dr. Williams had determined how she would respond to her boss. She would take an unprecedented approach in confirming her interest in the position, but on certain terms that would also place well-being for her family and herself at equal weight to work responsibilities. Over the following weeks she held a series of negotiation meetings with her boss. She successfully negotiated a more balanced and flexible schedule, support structures, autonomy, and a new organizational structure to ensure authority and decision-making was appropriately distributed. To her delight, her boss met her at every request.
At the vital age of 70, with many accolades to her name, Dr. Williams epitomizes the developmental mindset: seeing life as a continuously flowing process of learning, growth, and change. By embracing this mindset, Dr. Williams is ensuring that she is attuning to the calls while making discerning decisions that keep her with her path of noble purpose throughout her entire lifespan. This approach stands in contrast to the traditional linear path in life that we are all familiar with, which was telling Dr. Williams that it was time to stop and finally “be happy.” Now successfully at the helm as COO of her health system, she is already ushering in positive change and defining happiness on her own terms.
Looking a bit closer at this transition, it certainly has not been smooth and easy. After all, it is a brand new direction for her, a new role in the organization, and a highly demanding environment that constantly challenges her commitment to well-being. But by holding a deep belief that she is fulfilling her noble purpose, she personifies what it means to never stop learning, growing, and developing for the good of the collective whole.