I recently read a post by Daniel Pink, the #1 New York Times bestselling author who has spent 30 years studying motivation, work and meaning. He wrote: Purpose leaves clues. And then he offered three key questions to uncover them. What struck me? The same questions that reveal purpose also point directly to strengths.

1️⃣ When do you forget the time?

Flow happens when you operate inside your top strengths. Purpose and strengths both show up when you are so absorbed that the hours disappear and time passes quickly.

2️⃣ What made you weird as a kid?

Those interests didn’t vanish. But they may be buried. Purpose often begins by reclaiming what once felt natural — your natural strengths.

3️⃣ What do people consistently thank you for?

Purpose (like strengths) lives at the intersection of what energizes you and what genuinely contributes to others.

My takeaway: Purpose isn’t separate from your strengths. It’s your strengths, aimed intentionally.

For leaders, the question may not be: “Do I know my purpose?”

It may be: “Am I deploying my strengths in ways that create positive energy and flow for me and for my team?”

Because when strengths align with contribution, flow increases. Impact increases. And meaning follows.

I’m curious: which of Pink’s three questions resonates most with you right now?