The ability to find your own calling is a key success factor. This is especially true for people in management positions. Anyone who wants to find their calling invests in the development of genuine leadership skills. Finding your calling is not just about career planning. It is about a deep inner conviction to make a significant contribution in the right area. Many managers report that an awareness of their own calling has massively improved their leadership effectiveness. The connection between personal values and professional activity becomes tangible through finding one's calling.
Why finding your calling is crucial for your leadership position
Managers have a significant influence on the performance and motivation of their employees[1]. The quality of this leadership depends heavily on whether the manager has found their own calling. People who find their calling act more authentically. As a result, they create genuine trust in the team.
The modern working world is constantly changing. Employees are looking for more than just a job. They want to see that their leader really stands behind their mission. When you find your calling, you become a true leader. You set a powerful example for your team[2].
Organisations in which managers find their calling often report better results. Employee loyalty increases. Productivity increases. The risk of burnout decreases significantly[4]. This is particularly evident in knowledge-intensive sectors such as technology, consulting and financial services.
Finding the components of a true vocation
Clarify your personal values when finding your vocation
Before you can really find your calling, you need to know your values. What beliefs guide your actions? What is fundamentally important to you? Answering these questions is the first step[8].
We regularly experience the following situation in companies of all sizes and in all sectors: managers report that for years they were in positions that did not correspond to their values. It was only when they began to consciously find their calling that their charisma changed fundamentally.
BEST PRACTICE at ABC (name changed due to NDA contract)
A team leader in a medium-sized company realised through a structured reflection process that he had moved away from his actual values. His team consisted of creative professionals, but he was purely results-orientated. After he wanted to find his calling and reorganised his values, he integrated more room for innovation. His team began to work much more independently. The sickness rate fell by twenty per cent within six months. This change was the result of a conscious decision to redefine his own vocation.
Recognising your talents when finding your calling
Finding your vocation also means identifying your natural strengths. What are you particularly good at? Where do you lose track of time? These are strong indicators of your true calling.
Many managers have worked their way up to their position without ever checking whether this position really suits them. They may have great talent in strategic thinking, but are assigned to an operational role. To find your calling, you need clarity about your true capabilities.
We often see this phenomenon in the financial sector and IT companies in particular. Excellent professionals are promoted to managers, even though their vocation may lie more in in-depth specialised work. It is only when these people consciously find and re-evaluate their vocation that creative solutions such as dual-career paths or hybrid roles often emerge.
Your passion as a compass for finding your calling
You will find your true calling when you combine your passion with your skills. What moves you emotionally? What can you talk about for hours without getting tired? Your passion is a reliable compass.
For example, if your passion lies in developing people, but you lead purely transactionally, a dissonance arises. This inner tension blocks your full power. In such cases, finding your calling means fundamentally realigning your leadership style.
BEST PRACTICE at DEF (name changed due to NDA contract)
A director in a large logistics company realised that her real passion was developing and coaching people. She invested time in finding her calling and transforming her leadership role accordingly. Instead of just focusing on numbers and processes, she initiated an internal mentoring programme. She turned development meetings from pure compliance into real growth opportunities. Staff turnover in her department fell rapidly. At the same time, the internal promotion rate increased. This was reflected in better customer ratings, as motivated teams automatically provide better service.
Practical methods for managers to find their vocation
Self-reflection as a way to find your calling
One of the most important skills of confident leadership is the ability to self-critically scrutinise your own position[5]. Take time for honest reflection. Work in a safe space with questions such as: Am I really in my element? Which aspects of my role fulfil me? Where do I lose myself?
Regular self-reflection helps you not to lose sight of your vocation. This is particularly important because many people put off dealing with their vocation. Only when burnout or dissatisfaction sets in do they start to act.
Practising a change of perspective when finding your calling
A key skill for developing your vocation is changing your perspective[5]. Leave your usual point of view behind. Look at your situation from different angles. How would someone from outside see your strengths? What does your team see in you? Where do you yourself see untapped potential?
This change of perspective is particularly valuable in consultancies and agencies. Teams work in a highly complex and specialised way. Managers who regularly practise changing perspectives often discover new dimensions of their vocation. They recognise talents that they have not noticed themselves.
Defining clear values when finding your vocation
Authentic leaders work with clear values. This helps you to find your vocation and maintain it in the long term. Consciously define which values you want to stand for. This gives your actions clarity and consistency.
People follow leaders who clearly stand by their values. If you find your calling and this calling is based on your values, you automatically come across as more authentic. Your team will sense this consistency and respond with increased loyalty.
BEST PRACTICE at GHI (name changed due to NDA contract)
A VP of a software company began to systematically define values that were fundamental to him. He realised that his value of „transparency“ was not being lived in his leadership. He consciously worked on wanting to find vocation through more openness. He began to communicate challenges openly instead of glossing over them. He showed how he personally dealt with mistakes. This initially created uncertainty, but after a few weeks his team noticed a new freedom. People dared to expose themselves. Suggestions for innovation suddenly came from all levels. This leader's „finding his calling“ created a fundamentally new team dynamic.
The role of vision in finding your calling
Developing a vision is closely linked to finding your vocation[6]. A vision is the image of your idealised professional position. It describes the future that you want to actively shape. Managers who have a clear vision work more purposefully. They make better decisions because they align them with their vision.
When finding your vocation, ask yourself: What does my ideal leadership position look like? In what context do I want to lead? With which people? What impact do I want to create? These questions will help you to concretise your vision.
This is particularly important in fast-moving industries such as start-ups, media companies and technology firms. Everything is constantly changing there. If you have a clear vision, you keep your compass. Finding your vocation linked to a vision makes you less susceptible to disruption and more of a driver of change.
Developing leadership skills through finding a true calling
Interestingly, leadership skills often develop more quickly automatically when you find your calling. A person who lives their calling works with greater energy. This energy is transferred to the team. They become a role model through authenticity, not through formal position.
Competent managers are communicative, able to take criticism, assertive and goal-orientated[1]. You can train these competences. But finding the connection to your vocation brings these competences to life. They are not only learnt, but lived.
Personal responsibility is a key competence. If you want to find your calling, you have to take responsibility[1]. This is reflected in concrete action: you make decisions on your own responsibility. You look for solutions instead of waiting for others. They show initiative. These are the behavioural patterns of true leaders.
Finding your calling in different industries and contexts
Finding a vocation is not limited to one industry. In every sector, we find managers struggling with this question. But the characteristics differ significantly. In non-profit organisations, for example, there is often already a strong mission. Here, finding a calling is about connecting personally with this mission. In commercial organisations, finding a calling can mean a greater search for meaning.
In SMEs, we often experience a family-orientated corporate culture. Finding a vocation can be very personal here. In corporations, on the other hand, managers sometimes have to assert their vocation against stronger structures and processes. In start-ups, finding a vocation is often already part of the founder mentality, but can be lost as the company grows.
Start practical steps to find your vocation
Finding your calling is a process, not a one-off realisation. You need time for it. You need courage. You need creativity[8]. Start today with concrete steps.
Firstly, create space for regular reflection. An hour a month for honest self-reflection is a start. Write down which moments energise you. Which tasks exhaust you? Which conversations inspire you? These notes will show you patterns in finding your calling.
Secondly, seek an external perspective. A coach, mentor or trusted colleague can help you recognise blind spots. An external perspective is often valuable when finding your vocation. It offers you a different perspective on your strengths and opportunities.
Thirdly, experiment. Finding a vocation does not happen through pure thinking. Try out new things. Take on unfamiliar tasks. Step out of familiar paths[8]. This is the way to truly discover your calling.
Finding transformation through vocation
People who find their calling and act accordingly report profound transformations. Their quality of work increases. Their satisfaction grows. Their influence on others increases. These are not fantasies, but measurable changes.
Awareness of one's own calling supports the development of leadership skills.
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