The Real Leadership Crisis Isn’t Change — It’s Purpose

The world feels like it’s moving faster than ever—the pace, the pressure, the endless swirl of change. In all the noise, it’s easy to lose sight of what really fuels us.

That’s why our working session last week with Richard Leider, global purpose pioneer and best-selling author, hit such a chord. Co-hosted by Acera Partners and Pilot Consulting, the event brought together senior leaders and intact teams from across Colorado for a rare opportunity to step out of the rush and reconnect with what truly drives us: purpose.

The energy in the room was electric. Senior leaders, HR executives, and teams from across industries came together—not to talk about strategy, but to explore how purpose shows up in their lives, leadership, and teams. In Richard’s words, purpose isn’t something to find once and for all. It’s something you practice, refine, and return to, especially in times of transition.

The Rise of Purpose Anxiety

When disruption and change are constants, it’s natural to feel off-center.

Richard calls this purpose anxiety: the uneasy space between who we are and what we do, marked by a quiet sense that “I’m just not enough!”  It’s a longing to live and lead with greater alignment and impact.

Even the most accomplished leaders experience it. Research by psychologist Larissa Rainey found that nearly 91% of people experience some level of purpose anxiety in their life, and this experience is growing. According to a recent study in Frontiers in Psychology, anxiety among working populations is increasing, with incidence rates in certain industries rising to 30–47%. It’s a universal human experience, amplified by societal pressures, social comparison, and the growing sense that time is running out to do what truly matters.

Feeling anxious about our purpose in life is not a flaw. It’s an invitation to slow down, reflect, and realign with what matters to us most.

That’s exactly what this gathering offered: a chance to reconnect with what gives our work and leadership a heartbeat.

Why Unlocking Purpose Matters

The science behind purpose is clear: having a sense of purpose in life doesn’t just feel good—it helps us live better and longer.

In a large longitudinal study of adults, those with higher purpose in life lived significantly longer. In one sample, individuals with higher purpose had a reduced mortality risk over 14 years, even when accounting for age, well-being and retirement status.

Beyond mortality, purpose is also linked to better cognitive health, reduced risk of dementia or mild cognitive impairment, better immune/inflammatory profiles, and healthier behaviors, including more physical activity, better sleep, and stronger emotional resilience.

As Richard Leider explains:

Purpose has a powerful effect on health, healing, happiness, and, ultimately, longevity. Science is beginning to validate what many people have known intuitively all along … purpose is what gives us the will to live.

Finding Direction Through Purpose

Great leaders and organizations aren’t waiting for stability to return. As Korn Ferry CEO Gary Burnison notes, they’re redefining leadership by cultivating mindsets before skill sets. Among these, the Purpose Mindset stands out as one of the most transformational. It’s the ability to ground people and performance in something deeper than the next deliverable or financial goal.

When everything around us feels in flux, purpose provides direction where strategy and structure alone fall short. It anchors us, propels us forward, and connects us to something larger than ourselves.

As Richard shared with us, purpose doesn’t just guide us through uncertainty—it gives us the courage to grow through it.

Where Purpose Meets Practice

At Acera Partners, we believe purpose is actionable. When people see their future as part of something bigger than their day-to-day work, purpose becomes the fuel for performance.

From this foundation, we design career pathways with compensation strategies that better align and reward people’s gifts, passions, and strengths with meaningful opportunities to add value in the organization. When individuals understand how they grow and why they matter, work becomes more than a job; it becomes a source of connection, contribution, and growth.

That’s what drives us at Acera Partners.

In Gratitude

Thank you to Empower for hosting this remarkable gathering. Meredith Mackert, Head of Human Resources for Empower Personal Wealth, shared how Empower’s mission—to empower financial freedom for all—guides how their people grow, own their contributions, and move across the organization.

Empower’s values-first culture is a living example of purpose in action. As we continue to help to build purpose-minded leaders and organizations, we couldn’t have asked for a better partner!