THE UNANSWERED CALLING: THE LEADERSHIP CRISIS NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT

I spent more than 10 years as a counselor and coach in one of the toughest juvenile facilities in our state. I want to be honest about what that work demanded.

It demanded everything.

The environment was difficult. The cases were complex. The institutional constraints were real. There were moments where any reasonable person would have walked away and found something easier, something more comfortable, something better compensated.

I did not walk away. And the reason was not willpower. The reason was calling.

I carried a deep, God-given conviction that I was placed in that facility for a purpose larger than my own comfort or career advancement. That conviction did three things that no performance review, no bonus, and no promotion ever could.

First, it sustained me. On the days the work felt impossible, my sense of calling reminded me why I was there. Purpose is a more durable fuel than motivation.

Within the first month, I came home and told my wife that I hate my job and hate my life in America if this was what I’d do for the rest of my life. My wife told me to find a job that matched my educational background, which meant we had to take our kids to a daycare since both of us had to work a 9-5 jobs. The thought of taking my kids to be raised by someone else was unacceptable to me. Since this is the only place with a flexible schedule, I stayed, knowing that God called me there for a season.

Second, calling grew me. A calling is not a license to remain stagnant. It is a demand to become more. I prayed more and pursued God more in such an environment. Psychology was not enough, as I saw coworkers with degrees in psychology, social work, and criminal justice walk out of the work they were trained to do. I pursued further education and training not to decorate my resume but because the young people I served deserved a coach who was genuinely equipped for the task. Calling and growth are inseparable.

Third, calling produced results that competence alone could never manufacture. When the people you serve know you are there because you are called and not merely contracted, something changes in the room.

Research published in Organization Science by Berg, Grant, and Johnson affirms this reality. Their study on unanswered occupational callings reveals that employees who cannot fully live out their calling experience genuine psychological conflict and quietly craft workarounds just to find meaning in their work. The implication for leaders is clear and sobering.

There are three obvious reasons why organizations must take this seriously:

First, calling produces a quality of commitment that no incentive structure can replicate. Second, an employee living their calling grows voluntarily and continuously. Third, organizations that align people with their calling do not just retain talent — they release it.

I lived this for over a decade in one of the most challenging environments imaginable. The calling was real. The growth was real. The impact was real.

The question is not whether your employees have a calling. They do. The question is whether your leadership is intentional enough to help them find it.

#Leadership #Calling #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplacePurpose #Counseling #OrganizationalCulture #PeopleFirst #PurposeDrivenWork

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Reference: Berg, J. M., Grant, A. M., & Johnson, V. (2010). When callings are calling: Crafting work and leisure in pursuit of unanswered occupational callings. Organization Science, 21(5), 973–994.