As public sector leader, you witness how the world is shifting quickly. Long-term strategies like five-year career plans don’t hold up anymore.
But letting go of certainty doesn’t mean letting go of your desire to have impact.
The reason you entered this work was clear: you wanted to solve big problems, make a difference, and contribute to something larger than yourself.
But here’s the challenge: once you’ve framed your impact in that way, it can feel like there are NOalternatives.
You ask yourself: “Where else could I possibly have this kind of influence?”
That belief – that your contribution is only valid, only meaningful when it’s national or global – can trap you.
It can hold you back from exploring alternative futures. It can keep you disconnected from things closer to home: where you live, and the people around you.
Imagine for a moment that impact has many levels. And you get to choose what matters most to you now.
In this episode, we’ll look at 3 layers to uncover how you want to contribute in future.
3 Layers To Uncover What You Want To Contribute Next
When I lived abroad as a teenager – many years ago now – my host dad told me something that’s stuck in my mind ever since. It was something along the lines of:
“I can’t control what’s happening in the Capital or on the global stage.
If I keep worrying about that I’ll be depressed.
What I can control is what happens in my backyard, in my neighbourhood.
That’s where I live, where I work, where I show up for people.
That’s where I focus my attention. And THAT has a ripple effect too.”
At first, I thought he was being ignorant, not caring about national or global issues. But then I realised he had a point.
He wasn’t closing his eyes to the big picture. He was choosing, deliberately, to contribute where he could make a tangible difference. Where he could see and feel his impact.
And that lesson is what I want to talk about today.
Let’s look at 3 levels to help you uncover what you want your future contribution to be.
Layer 1: What Does ‘Contribution’ Mean to You Today?
Contribution isn’t one-size-fits-all.
For some, it’s effecting change at a systems level. For others, it’s improving daily life for a community, supporting a cause close to their heart, or working directly with people.
I invite you to think back: Which moments in your career felt most fulfilling?
- Was it drafting a policy? Or overseeing the rollout of a programme?
- Was it the one-to-one conversations? The mentoring?
- Or the community meetings? The times you saw lives changed on the ground?
That’s your first clue.
If you want some guidance on how to reconnect to what matters most to you, have a listen to episode 8 called “What Matters Most In Your Career Shift?“
Layer 2: How Are You Willing to Use Your Resources?
Contribution is also about what you bring: your skills, expertise, networks. And yes, also your money, time, and energy.
- What are you prepared to invest now?
- What are you no longer willing to sacrifice?
Sometimes a shift in scale makes all the difference.
I recall one leader who left her government role because she never wanted to wear a suit and high heels again. She took a job in a local community organisation. Yes, the pay was lower. And she lost her fancy sounding job title.
But … her commute was shorter, her daily costs were down, and her stress levels dropped.
More importantly, she felt connected: to her neighbourhood, to friends (old and new), to a rhythm of life that left her feeling energised and alive. Not drained.
She got positive feedback for her work, instantly. She became a reliable go-to-person in her community. And she had fun doing it!
Her family noticed and benefitted from it too. And she valued having more quality time with them, where she could be truly present.
Her contribution became much more tangible, more human.
She found freedom, not only in what she wore, but in how she chose to spend her time.
Layer 3: What New Spheres of Impact Are You Willing to Explore?
Contribution can happen at many levels: global, national, local, within your neighbourhood or family.
The key is to ask yourself:
- What issues do I care about?
- Who matters most to me now?
- Where do I want my energy to go?
I remember one leader who left the public sector to head a global non-for-profit organisation.
They could be much more outspoken about the cause that really mattered to them. Being outside, they could hold the government to account, file lawsuits and create pressure to meet international commitments.
Their contribution shifted to one particular issue they cared about deeply. They put all their energy into that. But from a different position: one where their previous experience and networks are valued – and highly valuable.
Don’t Let The Status Quo Weigh You Down!
There are many different options to contribute in a meaningful way.
The most straightforward one is through donating to a cause that matters to you. But you can also consider: volunteering, leading in a new sector, or creating something of your own.
I invite you to hold your assumptions lightly. Stay curious. And be open to IMAGINE and EXPLORE alternatives.
You may DISCOVER ways to contribute that are much more tangible, personal, and satisfying to you than you could ever have imagined.
Until next time: make space, rediscover YOU, and then take action.