At the heart of work identity are two important concepts: role and contribution. These ideas are closely related. Role refers to what we actually do on a day-to-day basis. (Location 242)
Contribution, though correlated with role, is more related to our aptitude and developed skills. It is what we bring to our place of work, that particular contribution of enthusiasm, aptitude, learned skill, intelligence, knowledge, experience, and personal presence. (Location 247)
“What do I truly want to be doing every day?” and “What is that mixture of aptitude, skill, energy, and presence that I have to offer?” At times of impasse, when it is not clear what we are called to accomplish in the next stretch of life, we must find a way to intimately grasp, with a detailed particularity, what role we must step into, and what we have to offer in that role. (Location 257)
If we are living with an intention for self-awareness and fulfillment, we will become more complex, more intricate, more particular, more uniquely ourselves, as we gain experience and knowledge in our movement through life. (Location 264)
At times of crisis, transition, and impasse, we must redraw our self-portrait in a fresh way that allows us to see the very particular features of a face that is deeply familiar, but alive and aged precisely to this moment in our life. (Location 268)
Successful organizations deliberately build a community that attracts the right people to get the work done and to allow the organization to grow by their efforts and their loyalty. This building of community is a paramount task of all exceptional leaders. (Location 659)