Do you read stories of people who achieve unimaginable achievements in life and wonder, "How did they do that?" The answer is normally passion! Passion is the
Lead With Passion
fuel that pushes one past any preset belief they previously thought. Passion will take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. Passion keeps people going far past a normal end point and allows for people to achieve what they did not think was achievable.
When a Leader leads with passion, they pass the energy along to their staff and setup the organization for success far greater than one initially would think. One has to remember, a Team Member will buy into a Leader first and then the vision. The buy-in usually does not happen the other way around. The energy from the Leader will become contagious and spread throughout the organization. This energy will transform the organization and push the Team past barriers and into achievements that they could not imagine. You could say, the organization moves mountains.
The question remains, " How do you lead with passion?"
- Passion starts with the Leader - As a leader, you first must possess the passion for the vision. If you do not have clarity or buy-in to your own vision, no one on your team will.
- Don't become stagnant - Continue to be curious in life and within your career. By being curious and continuing to ask "Why", you will continue to grow, which will in-return help fuel your passion and consequently be passed down to your Team.
- Don't be afraid to be yourself! As a Leader, I have often times been labeled cheesy. Don't worry about it. Be a little cheesy, be yourself and be human!
- Live Teamwork, just don't talk about it - Jump in and help your team! In my previous career in the event industry, I was known to jump in and help behind a concession stand ( I can wrap a hotdog with the pros and make a mean boat of garlic fries!), scan tickets when short staffed or stay late into the night to help with a project that was at deadline. By doing so, you are showing that you are part of the team. Good team members help each other out.
- Get to know your staff as individuals, not just team members- Some of my fondest memories are sitting around the box office at the end of the night just talking with team members about non-work related topics. Make sure you take the time to talk to team members in a causal environment and just check in with each other as humans. It's amazing what you learn about your team members during these times and they can also create some pretty funny stories and jokes for the tough moments that lay ahead.
- Empowerment - When you allow your staff to grow, your create empowerment within them. By cheering them on, you help them achieve continued growth and ultimately, their goals. This fuels passion
Just remember, passion is infectious and starts with the Leader. As John Maxwell states, " A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position." When you lead with passion, it will spread to the whole team and when you have a team that has passion, you will move mountains. You will break through once thought of barriers and accomplish goals, which were once unthinkable. Go ahead, be yourself, be human and show your passion!
