Find Your Fulfillment: Winning Habits of Highly Fulfilled Leaders

Abstract

Fulfillment is not a place we go to; it is a place we all come from. The image of the path or the journey could be misleading for all paths are paths away from home. The self-discovery of fulfillment is from here to here. Real fulfillment is about transforming our search for success into a discovery of profound meaning and significance for life and leadership. This transition to “significance”, which is nurtured from within, is not about “acquiring” anything new; it is a matter of “re-discovering” what we already have. It is about belonging, not belongings. Significance is defined in terms of finding one’s real place and purpose in life and in terms of one’s contribution to the common good.A fulfilled life is marked by some key attributes which distinguish a person who is truly awake and the one who is merely sleep-walking. Love, joy and compassion are marks of being awake. Hatred, greed and anger are marks of being asleep. In order to live a fulfilled life—one brimming with Joy, Peace, Harmony and Love—we must resonate with precisely these qualities. This chapter explores the art and science of finding fulfillment in life and leadership. It presents seven habits of highly fulfilled leaders to mark the transition from success to significance. These habits of head and heart are: Pure motivation; Gratitude; Generosity; Harmlessness; Selfless-service; Acceptance; and Mindfulness.