The Power of Purpose As a Leader

Few leaders would know more than Barney Lau about rewriting their career. After all, his career has twice changed direction, often to the shock and surprise of those around him.

The first instance was when he left his role as a Managing Director at Microsoft to become a full-time pastor at his church. The second was sixteen years later—he retired from the church to return to the corporate world as an executive coach. While these may seem like disparate careers, Barney believes that finding the common purpose and shared values was the key to becoming a stronger leader.

“Many executives never take the time to reflect on who they are as a leader. Employees will follow orders because they have to, but they won’t stick around. Great leaders understand what their team is capable of. They garner respect, create a collective direction, and inspire people to do their best work.”

Barney sums this wisdom up in one key tenet that applies to both him and his coaching clients: being a human leader.

Lessons in General Management

In the first chapter of Barney’s career, he was a manager at several technology companies, with roles in the Singapore office of companies like Hewlett-Packard, Lucent, Cisco Systems and Microsoft. Eventually, he was offered the role of Managing Director for Microsoft Singapore, overseeing operations for the entire country. Despite a strong track record as a successful territory leader, Barney faced early headwinds as the Singapore region’s top executive.

“In my first year as Managing Director, I was in over my head. Not only were results poor, employee satisfaction at rock bottom, and I was facing failure under constant scrutiny.”

Although he thought an executive should have all the answers, it became clear he did not. He was uncertain about how to leverage the leaders on his executive team and was anxious that there might be criticism due to his appointment over many of his peers. 

Getting Help from Others

Initially, he felt isolated but soon realised he did not have to be—help came from the Organisational Development (OD) partner assigned to the Singapore region. Seeing that Barney needed help, she knocked on his door and asked what she could do to support him.

“I was resistant at first because, but eventually realised it was okay to accept help. After all, sometimes you need a new perspective to cut through all the complexity and make the right decision.”

The OD partner helped him evaluate his team and tap into the people who could help. This experience taught Barney a crucial lesson in executive leadership: great leaders succeed by recognising their limits, by being humble, seeking out other perspectives. Most importantly, they understand what it takes to empower others.

The results spoke for themselves. In the four years after he changed his leadership approach, Microsoft Singapore grew to more than $200 million in revenue, a record at the time. They also successfully secured deals with many of the region’s most critical accounts.

This success as an executive made his next chapter all the more surprising.

Leaving the Corporate World

Many executives feel locked into their careers, becoming accustomed to the status and compensation that accompany their roles. While being an executive can be a challenging life, it is very much a way of life—and one that most leaders work very hard to preserve.

“My decision to leave wasn’t made lightly—I had a 'faith calling'. After 20 years building my career in the corporate world, I wanted to change course and to support my community by becoming a pastor.”

As you would expect, this decision shocked Barney’s peers. Singapore was a rapidly growing market in Asia Pacific, and the top job at Microsoft is a prestigious position. Moreover, a career in the church came with a 90% pay cut, meaning he and his family had to make significant changes to their lifestyle.

Yet while so many aspects of this life were different, one thing remained the same. Although he no longer held a prestigious title or corner office, he remained responsible for leading a complex organisation, this one with 60 staff members and a congregation of more than 7,000.

“The themes of leadership don’t change. Wherever you are, you need to find a way to enable and inspire people, to navigate bureaucracy, to build great teams, and to foster human connections.”

In Barney’s view, being a leader extends far beyond a title. Leaders learn through their experiences and are open to sharing these with others. They provide opportunities for self-growth and a good reason to follow them. Whether you’re an executive or a pastor, great leaders inspire people, helping them understand the value of the thing they are all working towards. 

Continuing to Pursue Passions

After 16 years with his church, Barney took the opportunity to reinvent himself again and support people in a different context. For the past two years, he has applied his leadership lessons to a coaching practice, working with executives to examine their journeys and unlock new, unexplored career paths. 

He stresses the value of taking the opportunity to reflect on their career and rethink the leaders they want to be. With his help, Barney’s clients reflect both personally and professionally to understand how they can tap into their passions in life and work.

“As an ICEO advisor, I don’t tell people what they need to do differently. The reality is that people don’t become great leaders unless they internalise the impact of their experiences and learn from them.”

Mostly importantly, Barney encourages executives to avoid getting stuck on a particular title or status. If an executive is thoughtful about what their career is working towards and the impact they want to have, they are better able to identify what they bring to a role versus fixating on what a role gives back to them. 

After all, that is what Barney did. He found the thread that connects his executive career, personal beliefs and his passion for helping others. Ultimately, he has the opportunity to provide guidance to people, helping them navigate transition and become the leader they wish to be—one with impact and purpose.

Barney Lau is a Peer Advisor for ICEO (International Centre for Executive Options, Lee Hecht Harrison). As an ICEO Advisor, he and the rest of the team provide C-suite and senior executives comprehensive peer-level support, connections and resources for all career options as they navigate high-level leadership transitions.

To find out more about our ICEO programs please contact Abhilash Kayarat, ICEO Business Development Director – APAC: iceo.apac@lhh.com