We’re diving deep into the dimensions of the Leadership Circle Profile—one at a time—to surface insights, get curious, and explore how each dimension helps leaders move from Reactive to Creative leadership. In this post, we’re unpacking Purposeful and Visionary—the single greatest indicator of a leader’s effectiveness.
There are moments in coaching when something shifts. A leader moves from confusion to clarity, from stuck to inspired. In our experience, that turning point often centers on one thing: purpose. When a leader reconnects with what truly lights them up, their whole presence changes. Energy returns. Direction sharpens. Momentum builds.
That’s why Purposeful and Visionary is such a foundational dimension in the Leadership Circle Profile. As one of the profile’s 18 Creative Competencies, it lives within the Achieving inner dimension, which measures the extent to which a leader brings vision, authenticity, and a drive for meaningful achievement.
But the Purposeful and Visionary dimension doesn’t represent just another skill. It’s the beating heart of Creative leadership.
What Do We Mean by Purposeful and Visionary?
This dimension measures how deeply a leader lives from personal purpose—and how effectively they communicate a compelling vision of the future.
Some leaders express this through bold, strategic foresight. Others, through quiet conviction and grounded presence. Either way, when you’re in their presence, you can feel it: they know where they’re headed, and you want to head the same way.
Leaders often bring vision to life in one of two ways:
- As primary visionaries, they cast a bold picture of what’s possible and enroll others in it
- As facilitators of shared vision, they create space for others to co-author a collective future
Both require a clear sense of purpose. And both demand a leader who embodies their vision—and inspires others to do the same. As Bob Anderson and Bill Adams write in Mastering Leadership: “If purpose is the source from which great leadership springs, vision is the leader’s primary contribution.”
The data backs this up. Among all the Creative Competencies in the profile, Purposeful and Visionary is the dimension with the highest correlation to leadership effectiveness. In fact, our research and assessment team tells us that the number—r=.89—is kind of insane. On a scale of -1 to 1 (how correlation is measured), .89 is pretty high. In other words, an effective leader is a purposeful and visionary leader.
Why This Dimension Matters
Purpose and vision are contagious. When leaders are connected to what matters most, others begin to tune into their own purpose, too. When a leader articulates a clear, inspiring vision, they invite others to do the same—for themselves and for their organization.
That’s when alignment happens. That’s when momentum builds. That’s when leadership starts to generate transformation—not just manage it.
Purposeful and Visionary leaders:
- Inspire with clarity, passion, and conviction
- Encourage others to find their own purpose and voice
- Stay grounded and resilient in uncertainty—because they know why they’re doing the work
On the flip side: leaders who are disconnected from purpose might be effective managers—but they’re not truly leading. Leadership without vision isn’t leadership. It’s maintenance.
We see this reflected in the data, too. Despite the fact that Purposeful and Visionary is the highest-correlating Creative Competency to overall leadership effectiveness, only 40% of CEOs in our global database land in the top quartile of this essential leadership capacity. In other words, most CEOs don’t do this well, and we need our top leaders to do better.
What It’s Not: Common Misconceptions
Purpose and vision are powerful—but they’re also easy to misunderstand.
In coaching conversations, we often hear leaders hesitate when they reach this part of the profile. They worry they don’t have a “big enough” purpose. Or that their vision isn’t bold or polished enough to count. Sometimes they’re chasing something that looks good on paper but doesn’t feel true.
So, let’s pause and name a few common myths that can cloud this dimension. When we clear them up, leaders often breathe a little easier—and find their way back to what really matters.
What Purposeful and Visionary is not:
- “I have to have it all figured out.”
Purpose isn’t fixed or final—it evolves. What matters most is staying in relationship with it. - “Vision has to be grand and world changing.”
Not necessarily. It might be about how you want to lead your team, how you want to show up in your family, or what you’re building in your corner of the world. It can be bold, but it can also be deeply personal—and still profoundly powerful. - “If I’m good at something, it must be my purpose.”
We often confuse competence with calling. Just because you can do something well doesn’t mean it’s your purpose. Ask instead: What lights you up? What’s stalking you with longing? (Thank you, Bob Anderson, for that beautiful language.)
From Reactive to Creative: The Role of Purpose and Vision
In the Reactive orientation, leadership is often driven by fear, control, or the need to prove worth. These inner drivers cloud our clarity—and disconnect us from purpose.
But when leaders shift into the Creative orientation, purpose becomes the anchor. Vision becomes the compass. Together, they guide us out of old patterns and into conscious, authentic leadership.
Creative leaders:
- Lead from core values, not reactivity
- Respond intentionally, rather than react automatically
- Become more conscious of how—and why—they show up the way they do
As one of our colleagues put it so vividly, when he’s on purpose, even his heart rate changes. Purpose isn’t theoretical—it’s physiological. It calms. It centers. It energizes.
No one knows this better than our co-founders, CEO Bill Adams and Chief Knowledge Officer (and creator of the profile) Bob Anderson. 🎥 Listen as they discuss the critical nature and profound impact of the Purposeful and Visionary dimension in their work and in the work they do with leaders.
Cultivating Purposeful and Visionary Leadership: Practices + Prompts
Whether you’re a coach working with a leader—or a leader yourself—start by getting curious. Even if you or your leader already score high in Purposeful and Visionary, you can benefit from leaning in and listening for what’s next.
Try these reflection questions:
- What lights you up?
- What are you here to contribute?
- Where do you feel most alive?
- When have you felt disengaged or lost? What was missing?
- What’s longing to come through you?
And try these practices:
- Draft a simple purpose statement. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just begin.
- Pay attention to when your energy rises. Track what brings joy, focus, and flow.
- Use tools like journaling, visioning, or storytelling—not to create purpose, but to uncover what’s already there, waiting.
Hear how this dimension comes to life in real coaching conversations. 🎥 Check out our recorded webinar, where three experienced Leadership Circle coaches explore how Purposeful and Visionary shows up in leaders—and how it shapes the way they show up in the world.
Recommended Reading
If you’re looking to go deeper into the Purposeful and Visionary dimension, these selections, mentioned in our conversation with Bill Adams and Bob Anderson, offer powerful perspectives on purpose, vision, and the inner journey of leadership. Each one invites you to reflect, reconnect, and recommit to what you’re here to do—and why it matters.
- Unbecoming a Leader by Warren Bennis
Bennis reminds us that leadership often begins not with a title, but with a longing. He explores how great leaders are pulled forward by something they care deeply about—purpose that precedes position, and vision that arises from within. - Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address
Jobs’ iconic speech calls us to trust the invisible thread of our purpose. While the path may not make sense in the moment, he argues, when we live with intention and follow what lights us up, the dots connect in hindsight. - The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers
Campbell’s advice to “follow your bliss” is more than a poetic invitation—it’s a call to align with what’s most true. When leaders tune in to what wants to emerge through them, the path opens—and so does their impact.
Final Thoughts: Leadership, On Purpose
The Purposeful and Visionary dimension of the LCP doesn’t measure how charismatic, impressive, or accomplished a leader is. It measures alignment—between a leader and their own sense of purpose, and between a leader and the vision they offer others.
In a noisy world, leaders who know why they’re here—and where they’re headed—cut through. They lead from depth. They invite others into meaning. And they move us forward.
So, whether you’re coaching, leading, or both: Keep listening to what lights you up. Let that longing lead.
That’s leadership, on purpose.
