Leading with Purpose and Honesty

On the Raise Your Bars podcast, Al Ruttan and Chris Baker discuss how leading with purpose separates good leaders from transformational ones. They explore what a leader’s “why” is, why many leaders struggle to articulate it, and how to discover it through reflection on peak experiences, personal stories, struggles, and what brings fulfillment. They emphasize that a true why is bigger than money or status and should matter even without pay. The episode then focuses on aligning stated values with daily actions, addressing the “integrity gap,” and practical ways to close it: clarifying three to five non-negotiable core values, building habits and systems to support them, using a daily values check-in, making amends when falling short, and making tough decisions that protect values. They explain how consistent values-based leadership builds trust and avoids cynicism, and how purpose creates engagement by helping people understand why their work matters. They recommend communicating purpose through storytelling, connecting individual roles to the larger mission, celebrating purpose-aligned wins (including small ones), and demonstrating consistency over time. The hosts challenge listeners to write their leadership why in one to two sentences, test it against daily actions, and lead with authentic purpose to inspire and empower others.