Why Alignment, Strengths and Purpose Matter

Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with a number of senior HR leaders as part of my Insights into Leadership interview series. What stood out in each conversation wasn’t their qualifications, titles or achievements, though all were impressive. It was something more fundamental - the deep sense of satisfaction that comes from doing work that aligns with who they are.

Time and again, these leaders described feeling most energised, most fulfilled, and most effective when their roles allow them to work in their strengths, honour their values, and contribute to something meaningful.

But many also spoke candidly about the challenges. The emotional toll of navigating change in organisations that resist it. The frustration of seeing what needs to be done to support people or culture but not having the backing to deliver it. The difficulty of staying grounded in your own identity while constantly flexing to meet others’ needs.

These are not isolated experiences. They arecommon and increasingly voiced by experienced professionals who, on paper, arehighly successful, but in practice feel disconnected from their purpose.

As one HR Director put it to me:

“I feel lit up when I’m doing the work I know I’m good at. But it’s frustrating when I can see something that will help the people or the business, and others just don’t want to hear it. That misalignment is exhausting.”

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Leaana’s Story: From Pace to Purpose

One conversation that particularly resonated with me was with Leaana Hill, now Chief People Officer at Authentic Education. She described an early career defined by drive, energy and rapid progression, but also a difficult period during the pandemic where the demands of her role left her physically and emotionally depleted.

“I came out of it with a little bit of stress,” she said. “I was working 18 hours a day, seven days a week. People relied on me to make decisions I wasn’t trained for, and I made them. But I also reached a point where I knew something had to change.”

What helped her move forward wasn’t slowing down, it was becoming more intentional.

“I know now I’m at my best when I’m empowering others. That’s where I find meaning. It’s not just about personal success anymore. It’s about helping others achieve theirs.”

Her story is familiar to many HR leaders - high-performing, committed, and often carrying the invisible weight of the organisation. And at some point, realising that performance without purpose is unsustainable.

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The Risk of Misalignment

In my own HR career of leading teams, steering organisations through transformation, and later working independently with clients across sectors, I’ve seen first-hand what happens when capable professionals stay too long in roles or environments that no longer fit.

Three and a half years ago, I found myself at a crossroads. After 20+ years of leading HR teams, guiding transformation, and pouring everything into the people agenda, I hit burnout. I’d lost touch with the parts of my work that truly energised me, I was trying to be everything to everyone, and I lost confidence. I was succeeding outwardly, but I didn’t feel successful inwardly.

That turning point led me on a journey to rediscover what really lights me up and it wasn’t a job title. It was working in my strengths. Living in alignment with my values. Using my voice and experience to support others to reconnect with theirs.

That’s what led me to coaching. And it’s also what led me to create the NooWay™ Coaching Framework.

The result of misalignment is rarely dramatic. It’s more often a slow erosion of confidence, energy and clarity. You find yourself stuck in reactive mode, working longer hours but feeling less impact. Or feeling a deep ambivalence about your future, unsure whether to step up, step out, or step away altogether.

For many of the HR leaders I work with, this comes with a strong sense of responsibility. They don’t want to “let the team down.” They don’t want to walk away from a hard-won senior role, but they also know something’s missing and they’re no longer willing to ignore it.

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The Case for Reconnection

My coaching philosophy and the NooWay™ Framework I’ve built over the last three years, is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: that senior leaders thrive when their work aligns with their strengths, values, and purpose.

This isn’t idealism. It’s evidence-based.

From a neuroscience and psychological standpoint:

• Using your strengths at work increases engagement, performance and wellbeing. It boosts dopamine, which drives motivation and confidence.
• Living in alignment with your values reduces internal stress and increases clarity in decision-making.
• Experiencing purpose activates parts of the brain associated with resilience, connection, and long-term motivation.

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In other words: alignment isn’t a luxury, it’s a leadership advantage for success.

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Can You Do If You’re Feeling Disconnected?

You don’t need to leave your role or re write your career to feel more aligned, but you do need space to reflect, reconnect and reassess what’s driving you.

Here are four practical steps that can help:

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‍1. Review your personal PERMA-H balance

This framework from positive psychology offers a helpful check-in:

• Positive Emotions – Are you regularly experiencing moments of enjoyment or reward in your work?
• Engagement – Do you feel absorbed and energised by any aspects of your role?
• Relationships – Are you surrounded by people who support and stretch you?
• Meaning – Can you see how your work connects to something bigger than yourself?
• Accomplishment – Are     you progressing towards goals that matter to you?
• Health – How     is your physical and emotional wellbeing holding up?

Even a few small adjustments such as delegating, rebalancing, reconnecting, can create significant change.

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2. Revisit your strengths

Think about what you do best and what energises you. Are those strengths being used in your current role? If not,where could they be?

Many HR leaders I work with struggle to name their strengths beyond technical expertise. But your real leadership value often lies in your relational intelligence, resilience, strategic insight, or ability to influence. Recognising and articulating these strengths is a crucial step towards career clarity.

3. Define success on your terms

Many senior professionals reach a stage where traditional definitions of success - salary, title, influence - don’t feel meaningful anymore. That doesn’t mean they’re wrong, it just means they’re not yours anymore.

Ask yourself:

• What does success look like now, not ten years ago?
• What do I want more of and less of?
• Where do I feel most like myself?

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As Leaana said in our interview:

“You have to examine your life. If you choose to stay in survival mode, at least do so consciously. But don’t stay there by default.”

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4. Create space to hear yourself think

Senior HR roles are often about managing complexity, supporting others, and responding to urgent needs. What’s often missing is time for deep reflection. If your calendar is full but your clarity is low, start carving out space, not just for tasks, but for thought.

This might mean journaling, coaching, peer conversations, or simply protecting 30 minutes a week to consider your future.

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Supporting the People Who Hold It All Together

What I’ve learned through coaching, and from my own experience, is that senior HR professionals are often the ones holding space for everyone else, but rarely get the same support in return.

You deserve that support. Not because you’restruggling, but because you’re ready to realign, to lead with clarity, to movefrom just surviving to thriving.

That’s what the NooWay™ Framework is built tosupport. It’s not a quick fix or a prescriptive process. It’s a strengths-led,values-based approach to help experienced professionals regain confidence,reconnect with purpose, and shape a future that genuinely fits.

If any of this resonates with you, I hope it’sa reminder that you’re not alone and that it’s entirely possible to feel lit upby your career again.

You don’t need to start over.

But you do deserve to start differently.

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The NooWay™ Framework

I designed the NooWay™ Coaching Framework to reflect what I’ve seen work, not just for me, but for the hundreds of leaders I’ve worked with. It’s built around six simple but powerful modules:

1. Navigate Your Truth – Get clear on your story, values, and beliefs.
2. Own Your Strengths – Discover what energises you and how to use it with impact.
3. Optimise Your Energy – Reconnect with what drains and fuels you.
4. Work Your Plan – Create momentum and take practical steps forward.
5. Align and Ascend – Match your career decisions with who you truly are.
6. Your Evolution – Define what success means to you and keep growing from there.

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This process isn’t about changing who you are. It’s about connecting to who you are and designing a working life that fits.

Ready to Explore What Lights You Up?

If you’re feeling disconnected from your role, uncertain about your next step, or ready to create a working life that actually feels like you. this is your invitation. Let’s explore it together.

➡️ Book a free introduction call
➡️ Download the Career Transition Roadmap
➡️ Join the waitlist for the NooWay™ Group Coaching Programme

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