Mission and Identity Core: Who Am I – and Why Am I Here?
Exploring Identity Core and Mission through the Lens of Self-Leadership
What drives you at the deepest level?
What gives your leadership clarity, resilience, and direction? In self-leadership, these questions aren’t optional – they’re fundamental. Two concepts help us anchor this exploration: identity core and mission.
And when we connect them with the model of the Seven Fields of Self-Leadership, we gain a powerful framework for clarity, alignment, and purpose. Let us take a closer look.
The Seven Fields of Self Leadership © Dr. Burkhard Bensmann 2025
Identity Core – Knowing Who You Are
Your identity core is the stable inner foundation of your personality. It is not your job title, your résumé, or the roles others assign to you. It is what remains when everything else is stripped away: your deepest values, beliefs, behavioral patterns, and intrinsic motivations.
In the Seven Fields model, your identity core is especially reflected in:
• Field 1: Vision & Mission – What long-term direction guides your actions?
• Field 2: Body, Soul & Mind – How well do you know yourself beyond surface traits?
• Field 3: Competencies & Self-Development – What recurring strengths show up across your life story?
Example: Laura, a senior HR leader, often found herself mentoring colleagues in every organization she worked in – even when it wasn’t expected or required. Through reflection, she recognized a deeper pattern: enabling growth in others. That persistent theme pointed to her identity core.
When you begin to recognize such patterns – your drive for autonomy, your fascination with systems, your instinct to build bridges – you’re getting close to the foundation of who you are.
Mission – Expressing Your Core in the World
Let’s now turn to the definition I use in my book (Self-Leadership: The Key To Being Effective):
“Mission” explains the actual reason, the declaration of existence or the purpose of an individual.
Key questions might be: What is my reason of being? What meaning and purpose do I associate with my life?
Your mission is the outward expression of your identity core. It is about aligning your inner essence with your visible actions in the world. This is not about branding or image — it is about meaning, integrity, and contribution.
In the Seven Fields of Self-Leadership, mission becomes tangible especially in:
• Field 1: Vision & Mission – Your “North Star.”
• Field 4: Co-Workers, Partners & Networks – With whom and where your mission unfolds.
• Field 7: Added Value – The tangible outcomes your mission creates.
From my book: “In my opinion, finding your own mission is a central building block for personal success. While the achievement of one’s own vision is very much dependent on external influencing factors, the mission — the meaning I believe — is much more determined from within.”
This distinction matters. Your vision may be shaped by trends and external opportunities. Your mission, however, emerges from deep self-understanding.
Example: Tom, a software entrepreneur, believed his mission was to “build great apps.” But in coaching, he uncovered a more essential truth: “I simplify complexity so that others can thrive.”
This seemingly subtle shift fundamentally changed how he led his company, built his teams, and selected his projects.
The Same Applies to Organizations
What’s true for individuals is equally true for organizations. Companies, too, have identity cores – founding impulses, cultural DNA, and shared values. And they, too, need missions – not just goals, but a deeper contribution to clients, communities, and society.
As I write in the book: “The once clear mission of the company can fade into the background or even be forgotten due to the acceleration, fragmentation, and unpredictability of their day-to-day management – short-term dominates one’s actions. The deeper purpose is no longer felt.”When that happens, employees may lose their sense of meaning, and customers may stop feeling connected.
Real-Life Case: Take Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company. Their original mission might have been simply to “make high-quality outdoor gear.” But over time, they evolved their mission into something much deeper:
“We’re in business to save our home planet.”
That shift didn’t just change their marketing — it influenced how they source materials, select partners, and activate customers. It became their organizing principle.
Organizations that connect identity and mission build real trust – and trust, as we know, is in short supply.
Connecting Identity Core and Mission
Here’s the key insight: Your mission flows from your identity core. Without self-knowledge, your mission becomes wishful thinking. Without a mission, your identity remains potential — but never becomes performance. The Seven Fields of Self-Leadership give you a practical map to connect the two — helping you move from inner clarity to outer impact.
Three Self-Reflection Questions
Whether you’re leading yourself or an entire organization, consider these prompts:
1. What values or themes show up again and again in my (or our) story?
2. What do I (or we) stand for – even under pressure?
3. What contribution do I (or we) want to make that truly matters beyond ourselves?
Final Thought
Self-leadership isn’t about efficiency first. It’s about direction. When you know who you are – and why you are here – you gain the inner compass to lead through complexity with resilience and purpose. As I write in the book: “A deep life is characterized, among other things, by the fact that we have defined the motives and goals that are important to us and consistently follow them.” (inspired by Cal Newport)
This kind of clarity is not always easy to find. But it is the most meaningful work there is.
Let’s Go Deeper
Are you interested in exploring your identity core and mission in a deeper, more structured way? That’s exactly what the Seven Fields of Self-Leadership are designed to support. Let’s connect — in a workshop, a coaching session, or simply over a thoughtful conversation.
Reach out if you’re ready to rediscover purpose and direction — in your life or in your leadership.
