Objectives and Key Results for a Fulfilling Life
Applying Clayton Christensen's teachings to Leadership and Purpose
Finding happiness and purpose in life requires clarifying your objectives and key results across the domains of career, relationships, integrity, and meaning. As Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen writes, high-achieving people often focus tremendous energy on career success while neglecting personal relationships, integrity, and a sense of purpose. The key is taking a step back to allocate your limited time and talents thoughtfully.
Regarding career fulfillment, a crucial insight is that lasting happiness comes not from money or prestige but from the opportunity to learn, grow, contribute to others, and feel that your achievements are recognized. I've experienced this firsthand during my career transition from product management into product strategy and organizational design. Though initially trained and working as a product manager, I felt drawn to the more strategic, organizational side of the field over time. So, I invested substantial effort in studying product strategy frameworks, identifying mentors in those areas, and taking on special projects that allowed me to gain relevant experience. Along the way, I had managers and colleagues who appreciated these contributions and helped me continue developing.
The process was immensely fulfilling, allowing me to expand my capabilities in an area of genuine interest. And it led to being able to take on a product strategy role that I find intrinsically motivating day-to-day. The money is secondary; what truly excites me is the chance to analyze product ecosystems, craft high-level strategic visions, and influence how product organizations take shape. As Christensen notes, building up people and helping them learn and grow leads to the most profound rewards in business. The pride is not about having done the product development work myself but rather enabling teams to come together around a purposeful strategy and make tremendous things happen.
Still, even the most intrinsically motivating career involves substantial drudgery. As the saying goes, it is called work for a reason. When frustrations inevitably arise, it becomes crucial to have outlets beyond work that spark creativity and enjoyment. For me, that has long been recreational writing and, more recently, a book. Having these creative expressions that I control entirely, separate from job pressures, allows me to maintain balance and perspective. They provide energy when my day job drains it.
These personal projects would only be possible by prioritizing family. My wife and I coordinate our schedules, planning date nights, family activities, and one-on-one time with our kid. We also communicate clear expectations for flexibility at work to handle sick days, school events, and more. Fortunately, we have supportive extended family nearby as a backup when professional obligations collide.
Being part of a loving family and having creative diversions helps sustain integrity and values at work when tensions flare. In moments of frustration when questionable shortcuts tempt me, I reflect on the purposes behind my actions and the examples I want to set. Compromising integrity rarely pays off in the long run, Christensen emphasizes. It is far better to define boundaries clearly and know when to walk away rather than rationalizing things "just this once."
Ultimately, living a fulfilling life requires finding happiness across individual domains and identifying an overarching sense of purpose. My drive to continuously improve provides that purpose, shaping my daily decision-making and interactions with people. But as Christensen describes, purpose can also come from family legacy, helping the disadvantaged, artistic expression, or other passions. What matters is taking time for serious reflection about what gives your life meaning and where you want to impact.
With clarity of purpose, you can thoughtfully allocate energies across domains, calibrate ambitions, and define critical results that align with a meaningful life. Rather than focusing narrowly on money or fame, the ultimate metrics revolve around personal growth, enabling others, and purposeful impact. Truly understanding your skills and passions, contributing beyond yourself, finding joy in relationships, preserving values against pressures, and connecting daily choices to transcendent meaning is the recipe for flourishing. It requires effort and active prioritization, but the payoff is immense.
Reference: Christensen, C. M. (2010). How will you measure your life? Harvard Business Review, 88(7–8), 46–51.
Song of the Week:
Quote of the Week:
“I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music.”
- Billy Joel
Poem of the Week:
My Love is like to ice, and I to fire: How comes it then that this her cold so great Is not dissolved through my so hot desire, But harder grows the more I her entreat? Or how comes it that my exceeding heat Is not allayed by her heart-frozen cold, But that I burn much more in boiling sweat, And feel my flames augmented manifold? … Edmund Spenser, ‘My love is like to ice, and I to fire’