Purpose and dreams. I like to simplify before complicating as much as I can. I do this in part because I thrive in the complexity and find it hard to communicate clearly when I'm there. My definition of purpose and dreams are simple. Their application, however, can be complex. Purpose is the reason you're here. Dreams are the possibilities you can imagine or conjure. Pretty straightforward, right? Now here's the thing, with each of these we can get as micro or macro as we'd like. And sometimes where things get difficult in leadership is when one person is thinking super macro, and the other person is thinking super micro. So what does this mean really to lead with purpose and dreams? Well, I can think of my purpose in regards to the reason I'm sitting here right now recording this audio reflection. Or I can think of it as the reason I C.Perry Dougherty, I'm here in this body living on planet Earth. I can think of my dream, as really practically what I imagined in this moment for this course with this microphone, is possible. Or I can consider it more macroly, metaphorically, as what is the possibility I imagine and will commit to and co creating the world around me. I love that these definitions scale up and scale down. It brings me great joy to work with them in this way. I also recognize that depending on your preferences for the macro, or the micro, or somewhere in between, you might find it uncomfortable to work with these definitions at various points on the spectrum. That's okay. I believe the goal is to find the threads to discover the truths that help you or me or someone else move along the scale from the practical the micro moment of application to the super macro, the big picture, with authenticity with integrity and some form of alignment. For me, if I consider the big picture in the right here, right now, my sense of purpose is somewhat consistently aligned to a thread of love, compassion, witness to people. That feels true to me in recording this audio today. And it also feels true. If I zoom up and consider my life as a whole. My dream pretty consistently comes back to the idea that despite the clear obstacles and challenges to overcome, I imagine and believe that together we can conjure love, compassion and connection as a powerful force for healing and social change. That is true for me, as I look at this microphone, the ways that it connects me to you. And also, as I look at my experience in life as a whole, how I put myself out into the world in all of its madness. It has taken me a long time to understand the power of weaving these threads, discerning the ways they align, and can work through me in any given moment. It can be hard work, to find ways of aligning to my purpose and dream and the moment to moment and day to day. Because there's a lot of habitual patterns, beliefs, embedded from the world around me, and distractions, all of which get in the way. So what do purpose and dreaming mean to leadership? In some ways, it is intuitive to understand that purpose and dream matter to creative, competent leadership. But let's make it really explicit. Purpose and dreaming matter to leadership, because they are one way of profoundly and clearly answering the question, Who are you? And what do you believe in. As human beings, we deeply desire to develop trust, shared purpose, shared power with others, and yet most of us have experienced a fair amount of disappointment in this regard. So as we set out to lead, whether in huge ways or small ways, there's great value to you and those you are working with, and being clear on your answers to these questions. Who are you? And what do you believe in? Recently, my mother has been attending a regular meditation practice led by one of my close colleagues, in which there are a few other people with whom I've worked professionally. My mother told me that my colleague and the others who knew me professionally have, in a few moments made comments or jokes about a "Perry way of being" or a "Perry thing to say", for my mom, she was struck by this. I asked her if she had dissonance with what they were saying and she said no, just that she was proud and maybe a bit surprised by the clarity with which others saw me in a certain specific way. This experience made me very aware of how in spaces where I lead professionally, I do so with a fairly clear purpose and dream. It's been hard to get here and certainly I'm always seeking to align more fully to my dream and my values. And yet, my gifts, why I'm here tends to be clear. I try to be very aware and mindful of how I'm showing up, which results in people associating certain qualities and competencies with who I am and what I believe. My mother has a much more well rounded, complex picture of me, not to say that I'm actively hiding things from colleagues, but rather, I am much less aware and less mindful of leading with my purpose and dream at home or with my family, and a lot more of my junk who gets in the way at home and with family. Since she shared this with me, I've been working on ways that I can attune to my sense of purpose and dreams and the micro moments with my family. For some of you, there's likely a different story here. You feel comfortable sharing and leading with purpose and dreams at home or in friendships, and yet on the job for whatever reason, it might feel too vulnerable or countercultural to share yourself fully in these ways. Asking the questions and getting clear on the threads that inform your purpose and dreams, I believe is the first move and how we can each move into more deeply authentic aligned leadership. The activities and meditations in this section will support you in the reflection, discernment, practice and communication of your purpose and dream.