Are you feeling a little stuck? Lacking that fire you had when you first started your business journey? Energy, clarity and confidence in business come down to two key things: your vision and your purpose. They should inform every decision you make. If you’ve lost sight of them, and are feeling a little lost, we hope you feel inspired to take a leaf out of Dave’s book and create Your Manifesto. But be warned: you may become allergic to mediocrity!

 

Dave’s Story:

You Haven’t Been Yourself in So Long, You’ve Forgotten Who That Even Is

I know this feeling.

The hollow ache in your chest when you look in the mirror and wonder where you went.

You built something incredible. Revenue flowing. Team growing. Everyone telling you how “successful” you are.

But inside? You’re running on empty.

You’ve become everything to everyone else. The problem-solver. The decision-maker. The one who has all the answers.

Except you can’t answer the one question that keeps you awake at 3am: “Who am I anymore?”

I had a thriving business in Canada. Doing big numbers. Winning awards. Great team. All the markers of “making it.”

And I was dying inside.

I was running on ego while my soul was suffocating. Every day felt like wearing a costume that didn’t fit. I was so busy being what everyone needed me to be that I forgot who I actually was.

I lost myself trying to keep everyone else happy. That manifested itself in negative perceptions of me that really shook me at my core. I felt misunderstood most of the time.

If that was what was manifesting on the outside (because of what was going on in the inside), I needed to manifest something else for my life…so I decided to write my own manifesto and stop living someone else’s manifestation of who I should be. 

“Whatever is going on inside of us will always find a way to manifest itself on the outside.”– a Clarism

Creating my personal manifesto wasn’t about writing pretty words on paper. It was about excavating who I really am from under the pile of who everyone else needed me to be…or I was told to be.

It brought me home to myself.

And it can do the same for you.

 

This Is What Happens When Your Manifesto Actually Works

Your manifesto isn’t supposed to make you comfortable.

If it does, you wrote it wrong.

Mine hits me like a cold shower every morning. It reminds me who I am, what I’m here to do, and why some days feel like I’m carrying a backpack full of bricks.

But here’s the thing most leaders miss: that weight isn’t a bug. It’s a feature.

 

The Weight Is the Point

Look at my manifesto. It’s not motivational poster material.

It’s a declaration that I see a world where every organization leads with purpose first. Where leaders stop managing spreadsheets and start inspiring souls.

That vision? It’s my curse.

Because once you see the gap between what is and what could be, you can’t unsee it. Every meeting becomes an audit. Every conversation reveals the cracks. Every “that’s just how we do things” sounds like nails on a chalkboard.

You become allergic to mediocrity.

 

But the Curse Comes with Superpowers

My values aren’t pretty words. They’re my key components in my whole ecosystem:

Simplicity cuts through the noise when everyone else is drowning in complexity.

Fun keeps people engaged when the work gets heavy.

Radical gives me permission to challenge what everyone accepts.

Matter reminds me that if it doesn’t move the needle, it doesn’t belong on my desk.

Care ensures I never steamroll humans in pursuit of outcomes.

These aren’t aspirations. They’re how I make decisions. They’re how I say no. They’re how I stay sane when the curse gets loud.

 

The Daily Wrestling Match

Here’s what nobody tells you about living your manifesto:

It creates tension. Every. Single. Day.

• I want to move fast. But people need time to process.
• I want to challenge everything. But teams need psychological safety.
• I want radical change. But humans need stability.

Most leaders try to resolve this tension. That’s the mistake.

The tension is where the magic happens. It’s what keeps you sharp. It’s what prevents you from becoming a tyrant or a pushover.

My manifesto doesn’t resolve the tension. It teaches me to leverage it…to dance with it (and if you know me, I love to dance).

 

Your Manifesto Is Your Mirror

If your manifesto lets you sleep peacefully every night, you’re playing too small. 

“Most problems I have ever had have come from thinking too small, which leads to small actions. I have always found the answer once I started thinking bigger and taking bolder actions.”– Dave Clare 

If it doesn’t make you question whether you’re living up to it, it’s too safe.

If it doesn’t force you to make hard choices, it’s too vague.

Mine reminds me daily that I’m creating and inspiring purpose-driven leadership. That my goal is 90 million purpose-driven leaders. That by doing this, we can shift the consciousness of the planet.

Some days that feels impossible. Some days it feels inevitable.

Both can be true.

Because every day I get to choose: simplicity over complexity, fun over drudgery, radical transformation over comfortable status quo, making a difference over playing it safe, and compassionate commitment over detached management.

 

The Real Question

So here’s what I want to know about your manifesto:

• Does it curse you with impossible standards?
• Does it bless you with unshakeable clarity?
• Does it create tension that keeps you growing?

If not, you’re not done writing it yet.

Because a real manifesto isn’t a document you frame.

It’s a mirror you can’t look away from.

Even when you don’t like what you see.

 

Dubbed the ‘Prophet For Purpose’, Dave Clare is the CEO and Founder of Circle Leadership. With human-centric approach, Dave is creating and inspiring purpose-driven leadership globally. We’re very fortunate to have him as the OG first ever Rare Birds Mentor.