Find your purpose: The methodology behind NYU's most popular class

Jul 16, 2025

Suzy Welch, an award-winning professor at NYU Stern and a best-selling author, tackles the quest for personal purpose in her class 'Becoming You.' She describes her 3-circle methodology, emphasizing the power of aligning personal values with career aspirations. Welch explains why many struggle to identify their true values and presents strategies to uncover them. She discusses the importance of value alignment in teams and shares impactful insights on how leaders can inspire others to find their purpose, making for an engaging, interactive conversation.

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INSIGHT

Purpose Is A Three-Way Intersection

Purpose lies where your personal values, aptitudes, and economically viable interests overlap.
Suzy Welch frames purpose as the intersection of these three measurable data sets.

INSIGHT

Values Are Choices, Not Virtues

Values are choices that drive decisions and actions, distinct from virtues like kindness.
Most people confuse virtues with values and therefore don't know their true values.

ANECDOTE

Scope: Big Life Versus Little Life

Suzy illustrates 'scope' as a value with students who want big, chaotic lives versus those who prefer small, predictable ones.
People can hold high scope but express it little due to relationships, jobs, or children.

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Suzy Welch has helped thousands find clarity on the question: What am I meant to do with my life?

In this conversation, she shares the 3-circle methodology behind her wildly popular “Becoming You” methodology, which she also teaches at NYU Stern School of Business. She explains why knowing your true values is more powerful than skills training alone, and offers a practical path to purpose, at any stage of your career.

You’ll learn:

Why most people don’t know their true values—and how to find yours
How personal values, aptitudes, and economically viable interests intersect to reveal purpose
How value conflicts show up in leadership and career choices
Why aligning personal and organizational values can transform teams
What leaders can do to help others live and work with purpose

This was our first ever live recorded podcast conversation in front of an audience - you’ll hear audience interaction throughout, and Q&A at the end of the episode.

Take The Values Bridge test Suzy references here: https://thevaluesbridge.com/

Read Suzy’s book, Becoming You here: https://www.suzywelch.com/books/becoming-you-the-proven-method-for-crafting-your-authentic-life-and-career/

About Suzy Welch:

Suzy Welch is an award-winning NYU Stern School of Business professor, acclaimed management researcher, and New York Times best-selling author, most recently with “Becoming You: A Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career,” which is also a #1 bestseller on Amazon.

A graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Business School, Professor Welch is a frequent guest of the Today Show and an op-ed contributor to the Wall Street Journal. Her podcast, “Becoming You” is one of America’s most listened to career podcasts. She serves on the boards of public and private companies, and is the Director of the NYU | Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing.

As the founder and CEO of Becoming You Labs, Professor Welch, who received her PhD in business from the University of Bristol, has developed several digital assessment tools, including The Values Bridge and PIE360. Two more assessment instruments, the Career Traits Compass and the Holland Bridge, are currently in the final stages of beta testing.