How To Write Your Personal Mission Statement With 5 Famous CEO Examples
A personal mission statement is timeless. It is separate from your current identity as an employee, employer, business owner or anything else. It should convey a glimpse of who you are as a person wearing multiple hats with multiple passions and ambitions.
It should be broad enough to encompass your future goals, yet narrow enough to differentiate yourself from others. Your mission statement can help guide you when you reach crossroads in your career or life. It illuminates a part of your identity for others, which allows them to respond and follow you.
The mission statement is often connected with the vision statement, although they are two very different things. In short, they can be defined as:
Mission Statement - What’s wrong with the world and how you intend to fix it.
Vision Statement - What the world will look like after you’ve finished changing it.
In this blog, I’ll share 5 examples of personal mission statements and 7 questions to help you write your personal mission statement.
5 Famous CEO Personal Mission Statement Examples
Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group
To have fun in [my] journey through life and learn from [my] mistakes.
(Vozza 2014)
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla
If something is important enough you should try, even if the probable outcome is failure.
(Cordero 2016)
Oprah Winfrey, Founder of OWN, The Oprah Winfrey Network
To be a teacher. And to known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be.
(Vozza 2014)
Denise Morrison, CEO of Campbell Soup Company
To serve as a leader, live a balanced life, and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference.
(Vozza 2014)
Walt Disney, Founder of Walt Disney Productions
To make people happy.
(Blackburn 2008)
7 Questions To Ask Yourself To Find Your Mission Statement
What is the problem you are seeing in the world?
What are you intending to fix?
Why are you doing what you are doing? And why is that? And why is that? (I usually find that by asking 3 “whys” or more, I can find the real reason for something.)
What in your past experience makes you passionate about this?
What would the best version of yourself look like?
How are you different from other people who are doing similar things?
Is your mission sufficiently narrow enough to differentiate it from others?
Lastly, I want to leave you with my personal mission statement:
Kaitlin Zhang, Founder of Oval Branding
To inspire confidence in others and guide them to be the best version of themselves.
Please share your personal missions statement in the comments below.
Sources:
Blackburn, Marsha. Life Equity: Realize Your True Value and Pursue Your Passions at Any Stage. Thomas Nelson, 2008.
Cordero, Jonel. “Elon Musk and His Mission (Statement).” Medium. N.p., 23 Apr. 2016. https://medium.com/@jonelcordero/elon-musk-and-his-mission-statement-6f8714189d20. 25 Mar. 2017.
Gregory, Lawrence. “Amazon.com Inc.‘s Vision Statement & Mission Statement (An Analysis).” Panmore Institute. N.p., 11 Feb. 2017. http://panmore.com/amazon-com-inc-vision-statement-mission-statement-analysis. 25 Mar. 2017.
Vozza, Stephanie. “Personal Mission Statements Of 5 Famous CEOs (And Why You Should Write One Too).” Fast Company. Fast Company, 31 Dec. 2014. https://www.fastcompany.com/3026791/personal-mission-statements-of-5-famous-ceos-and-why-you-should-write-one-too. 29 Mar. 2017.
