Finding Purpose through Ikigai: How Leaders Can Promote Well-Being through the Japanese Concept of Reason for Being

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Abstract: This article explores how the Japanese concept of ikigai—the intersection of passion, talent, societal need, and livelihood—can be applied by leaders to foster purpose and well-being in the workplace. Amid technological disruption and globalization, employees increasingly struggle to maintain engagement and meaning at work, yet research demonstrates that purpose-driven work significantly enhances motivation, performance, and retention. The authors present a comprehensive framework detailing how organizations can implement ikigai's four principles through practical strategies including career counseling, skills assessments, rotation programs, community impact projects, and flexible work models. Drawing on case examples from companies like Komatsu, Adobe, Patagonia, and Unilever, the article demonstrates how cultivating both individual and collective purpose creates psychologically fulfilling work environments where employees thrive amid uncertainty while simultaneously advancing organizational objectives.

Leaders today face immense challenges in promoting organizational well-being, engagement and happiness among employees. With constant change and uncertainty arising from technological advancements and globalization, maintaining focus and meaning at work can be difficult. However, research shows that when employees find purpose and meaning in their work, it positively impacts motivation, performance and long-term retention (Dik & Duffy, 2009; Harter et al., 2020). The ancient Japanese concept of ikigai provides leaders a framework to cultivate purpose and well-being among their people. Literally translating to "reason for being" or "something that makes one's life worth living" (González, 2021), ikigai blends intrinsic worth with external value and taps into humanity's basic need for significance.

Today we will explore how leaders can apply the key principles of ikigai - what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid for - to foster purpose and boost employee well-being.

Finding Purpose through Passion

One of the fundamental tenets of ikigai is discovering what you are passionate about - what you love. Research shows pursuing passion and intrinsic motivation is key to well-being and happiness (Peterson et al., 2005). Leaders can help employees find purpose by assisting them connect to their inner passions. Some strategies include:

• Conducting periodic career counseling or coaching sessions to explore interests, values and motivations (Sharma & Sharma, 2019). This gives employees space to reflect on what truly engages them.

• Rotating job roles temporarily to sample different functions and opportunities. For example, a marketing executive trying sales for a quarter. This experience-based exploration fosters self-awareness.

• Facilitating passion projects where employees can work on initiatives outside core responsibilities but aligned with their interests like organizing wellness events for a health-focused employee. Having an outlet energizes purpose.

For example, Komatsu, a construction equipment manufacturer, encourages each employee to spend 5% of work time on passion projects like teaching digital skills to improve community well-being. This fosters intrinsic motivation that enhances performance and loyalty. By helping uncover passions, leaders offer a pathway to individual ikigai and purpose.

Finding Purpose through Skills

The second tenet of ikigai is leveraging one's strengths and innate skills - what you're good at. Research shows individuals experience greater engagement and well-being when applying their signature strengths at work (Hodges & Clifton, 2004; Seligman, 2002). Leaders can assist the discovery of innate talents and foster their application as follows:

• Conducting periodic skills assessments using tools like StrengthsFinder to understand capabilities (Rath, 2007). This provides self-awareness.

• Rotating job responsibilities to experience different functions and roles over time. For example, a finance manager taking the lead on an operations project. This experiential learning reveals new strengths.

• Encouraging stretch assignments and special projects that leverage untapped skills. For instance, an accountant spearheading a new cost-efficiency initiative requiring analytical abilities. Such challenges cultivate strengths.

For example, Adobe encourages its software engineers to teach internally or externally periodically on topics leveraging their technical skills. This allows applying strengths while developing new ones, keeping work engaging. By recognizing and deploying innate talents, leaders nourish individual ikigai and purpose.

Finding Purpose through Impact

The third tenet of ikigai concerns contributing to society through work that matters - what the world needs. Research shows connecting effort to a higher purpose beyond self enhances well-being and job satisfaction (Dik et al., 2013; Steger et al., 2012).

Leaders can assist uncovering purposes greater than tasks through:

• Conducting company-wide surveys and structured interviews to understand societal issues employees feel passionate about addressing (Michels, 2012). This fosters collective impact-driven motivation.

• Rotating employees through community outreach and social responsibility programs related to the business. For example, a technology company's engineers teaching coding at local schools.

• Structuring team-based social impact projects around skill-building for nonprofit partners (Vogelgesang & Astin, 2000). For instance, a legal team providing pro-bono support to an immigrant services nonprofit.

For example, Patagonia facilitates environmental service trips for its retail staff to work with conservation nonprofits, applying skills for planetary betterment. By aligning effort to higher causes, leaders nourish purpose beyond self for greater ikigai.

Finding Purpose through Livelihood

The final tenet of ikigai centers on deriving livelihood from meaningful work - what you can be paid for. Research shows integrating financial security and calling enhances well-being more than either in isolation (Wrzesniewski et al., 1997). Leaders can interweave purpose and practicality as follows:

• Communicating organizational values creating both social impact and profit responsibly (Margolis & Walsh, 2003). This integrates ikigai and business imperatives.

• Providing skill-building and career pathing to help each employee's passions, talents, and purpose intersect with organizational needs and compensable roles over time.

• Offering hybrid or flexible work models allowing combination of higher purpose projects alongside billable responsibilities nurturing multiple dimensions of ikigai as circumstances change.

For example, Unilever supports social entrepreneurs who integrate sustainable business solutions addressing societal problems. Combining purpose and profits through scalable ventures fosters ikigai at work. By thoughtfully blending calling and compensation, leaders plant seeds for multi-dimensional life fulfillment.

Cultivating Collective Purpose through Ikigai

Applying ikigai at an organizational level requires thoughtful integration of its four tenets across systems and culture. Some suggestions include:

• Developing clear core values and a meaningful higher purpose statement employees feel part of and committed to nurturing continually (Collins & Porras, 2002). This fosters collective ikigai.

• Designing work cultures of psychological safety, growth and contribution where individuals freely explore passions and talents solving important problems together (Edmondson, 2018). Ikigai thrives in supportive communities.

• Structuring jobs, teams and processes around continual role rotations, stretch assignments and passion initiatives weaving individual ikigai into the larger organizational fabric (Michels, 2012). Work becomes a shared quest.

• Recognizing and rewarding behaviors demonstrating strong internal motivation, skills development, community impact and long-term career potential aligning individual and organizational ikigai (Harter et al., 2020).

For example, Autodesk organizes work around purpose-driven "challenge teams" addressing societal problems through cross-functional collaboration on passion projects. By cultivating collective ikigai in this way, leaders nourish purpose at both individual and systems levels.

Conclusion

In uncertain times, the Japanese concept of ikigai provides an enduring framework for leaders seeking to foster purpose and well-being among employees. Its four dimensions – what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for – represent the full spectrum of human motivation from intrinsic passion to financial security. When thoughtfully applied, ikigai nourishes multidimensional purpose at work aligning individual callings with organizational imperatives. Leaders play a key role cultivating ikigai through career exploration, skills discovery, impactful projects and flexible work architectures. Ultimately, helping each person find their reason for being and contributing it communally enhances well-being, performance and retention for sustainable prosperity.

References

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Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.

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Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2026). Finding Purpose through Ikigai: How Leaders Can Promote Well-Being through the Japanese Concept of Reason for Being. Human Capital Leadership Review, 21(1). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.21.1.6