Character, values, and where the heck is this all going

I attended the monthly Turknett, Women in Leadership, event yesterday. Guido Sacchi, an old friend and colleague from Deloitte presented - great stuff as usual. Reminded me of the need to have some sort of compass as we travel through life. We talked about character and values.

'would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.

'I don't much care where--' said Alice.

'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

'--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.

'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough.'

I know people (very intimidating - and frankly annoying) who always knew what they wanted to do when they grew up. I always freaked out (still do) when people ask me "so...what do you want to be when you grow up."

So if I don't have a "destination" am I destined to walk and walk? The more I think about it, that sounds OK to me. As long as the walk continues to take me to places that are interesting and rewarding. So there must be some criteria guiding me - the things that help me make decisions and determine the next move.

Makes me think about how I define myself and if I can really say who I am?

How can I be an effective leader if I am not clear about who I am and bring my whole, authentic self into my work? I think this is something women in particular want in their lives. The ones who get it right are so much more confident and interesting to work with.