Last week, I was watching the U.S. Democratic Party Town Hall on television that took place in South Carolina. A member of the audience stood up and asked Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to talk about what he considers one of the most important traits of a leader. He replied that having a passion for what you do is a driving force for him. He then went on to amplify his response. That question and answer was quite revealing and has stayed with me ever since.
Two days later I received an e mail from Scott Monty who publishes a blog entitled The Full Monty (http://www.scottmonty.com/ ). Scott is an expert in Social Media. The title of his weekly blog was Passion. The fact that these two seemingly random events happened in the same week inspired me to write this blog.
As I reflect back on my over 45 years in the working world, the issue of passion has been a driving force for me. There have been times when I worked for some fine companies and great leaders. I got up in the morning and couldn’t wait to get to work. I was proud to represent my company and I was very driven to see the company succeed.
I am very happy to be running my own company at this stage of my career. I am very motivated to help our shipper clients save money on freight, to help our carrier clients improve their profitability and to help organize and host one of the best freight transportation conferences in Canada. I have a deep passion for all of these segments of the business.
On the flip side, I can recall companies and bosses for whom I did not enjoy working. For a variety of reasons, those companies did not get the best out of me. The passion wasn’t as strong. While I very much wanted to be successful and bring success to the company, the work atmosphere and/or the level of trust and support weren’t there. These are my takeaways from my many years in the business world.
Unless you are a professional actor, it is difficult to fake passion. If you have lost the passion for your job, or never had it, you should be actively looking elsewhere. If you are “going through the motions,” it is likely everyone around you can see it.
I receive many calls and e-mails from people who suddenly lose their jobs. Since I have a large network in the transportation and logistics industries, many people think that I can help them with their job search. It is often quite obvious to me that they were not a fit for their organization. More specifically, they had lost the passion for their work. The moral of the story is don’t wait for the shoe to drop. If you don’t have the passion, start your search as quickly as possible.
I love being an entrepreneur. When I was a young manager, I wasn’t ready to run my own business. Having been on my own the past 12 years, I could never envision going back to the corporate world. It is very exciting to shape and control your own destiny. As you achieve success, there is no greater feeling in the world. It is very easy to be passionate about your own business. However, not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, particularly a successful entrepreneur.
Many new businesses fail. It is one thing to create a business. It is an entirely different thing to create a sustainable, profitable business. For some people, creating their own business is not a realistic option. For people with kids in school and mortgages to pay, a bi-monthly salary is essential.
Sometimes achieving success in certain situations is out of your hands. A company may embark on a strategy that is doomed to fail. Some leaders feel they know everything and don’t need advice from their subordinates. The business models for some companies are not sound. In other situations, rival managers or executives may sabotage your opportunities for success. Some companies don’t provide the resources, follow-through or leadership to be successful.
In some cases you need to look in the mirror and admit to yourself that you are simply not a good fit for the organization. While this may be tough on the ego or force you to come out of your comfort zone, regaining a passion for your work can be a very positive life changing and career saving experience.
In other words, if you have some challenges where you work, don’t get too down on yourself. If you don’t have the skills and tools to be successful, try to get them. If the leader, work environment or business model are not conducive to your success and there is nothing you can do to change the dynamic, initiate a job search. Seek out opportunities where you have better odds of success.
Economic conditions change over time and new business models supersede existing ones. Nothing lasts forever. Never get too comfortable at what you do or for whom you work. Look inside and outside yourself and take stock of whether or not the passion is there and the business is sound. As a final takeaway, keep building your network, keep improving your skills and knowledge and keep your eyes open for other opportunities. If you can stay passionate about what you do in life, you stand a much better chance of enjoying a happy and fulfilling business career.
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