In his classic Ted Talk on leadership and brand perspective, Simon Sinek shares that "people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." As someone who's lead teams and developed or promoted brands for two decades, I've learned to hold this perspective as a truth. And the most successful brands are those that have learned to uncover within themselves what the "why" is. And this "why" can't be fabricated or wished. It has to be honest. Surely this concept is not new, but its truth is timeless.
Sinek also has looked at leadership and determined that there are those in a position of leadership (and some in this position solely lead from rank and power), and there are "those who lead" (and these are the folks that have a clear "why" and inspire action from others).
So brands use their underlying makeup and truth to lead with their "why". And "those who lead" use their underlying makeup and truth to lead from their "why"—to lead with a purpose.
Uncovering your "why" may not be easy. It requires a lot of self-inspection, discovery, and some closet-cleaning. And often times, failures. But the outcome of uncovering your "why" is living and leading from a true sense of purpose.
So if you believe you're a leader, perhaps its worth a look at the folks following you. And ask yourself, "why are they following me?". Is it because of your position and power? Or your because of an inspiring "why"?