Ikigai (生き甲斐, 'a reason for being') is a Japanese concept referring to something that gives a person a sense of purpose, or a reason for living. Loosely, 'Iki' in Japanese means life, and 'gai' describes value or worth.
The concept immediately resonated with me the first time I was introduced to it. We have all felt it, or at the very least, felt the need for it. And too often, people don’t achieve it, or sometimes don’t realize that perhaps they indeed have found Ikigai.
So what’s the relevance of Ikigai for procurement, sourcing, and shared services leaders?
Although a lot of people may not have heard of the Japanese term or concept, many successful leaders will tell you that they have found their professional reason for being. They are passionate about what they do; they are good at it; they are comfortably compensated for doing it; and they are know they are adding value to their company and to their industry.
They’ve defined Ikigai, whether they know it or not!
When we look at what makes a successful procurement or shared services leader, we usually hone in on characteristics such as passion, proficiency, and focus on goals and deliverables. Experienced leaders will also tell you that these traits have to be underpinned (and also over laid) with ethics, moral bearing, and a strong sense of both corporate and personal responsibility. Together, over time, these are all necessary components of Ikigai.
Why do some people never achieve Ikigai?
There are several ‘blind spots’ that people often fall into, which the Venn Diagram highlights.
- Satisfaction, but feeling of uselessness
- Delight and fullness, but no wealth
- Comfortable, but feeling of emptiness
- Excitement and complacency, but sense of uncertainty
We’ve all been in one or more of those spots from time to time. Let’s face it, it’s almost inevitable, and often unavoidable. The challenge is to recognize that you’re in one of these “holes” and choose to make a change, choose to proactively and consciously move closer to the center, which means that you ultimately move closer to Ikigai.
When you find your reason for being, when you reach the center, you’ll know it. The realization may not be sudden, or all at once, but you will know when you get there. The realization that you love what you do, that you are passionate about your work, that you’re recognized and compensated for being good at it, and that you really believe that what you do matters, is one of the culminating moments of a professional career.
I was fortunate to find my purpose professionally and personally a long time ago in procurement and sourcing. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had achieved Ikigai. I probably had difficulty articulating what I was feeling (I don’t recall even trying to articulate it!). But once I learned about the concept of Ikigai, it gave me a framework to describe how I felt about my career and profession. In a way, it was one of the Ah Ha Moments in my life.
So, I would challenge you all to explore where you are on the journey to Ikigai. It is not a guarantee of happiness or wealth, and Ikigai is not a magic bullet for unending professional success, but going on the journey is the only way to reach the destination.
