Do you have an all-consuming passion? I recently had the pleasure of being in the audience to hear a CEO of a Fortune 500 company speak about the company’s future. I sat enraptured by his passion and realized the most successful people have an all-consuming passion and focus.
This type of passion keeps leaders ahead of the competition. Since these leaders are passionate about the industry, they never feel they know enough and are driven to keep learning. Staying on the edge of the latest information allows them to make strategic decisions, helping differentiate their company from the rest.

Leaders with passion believe in what they are doing, which communicates authenticity. Believing in the product or service helps others believe in it as well. This builds trust with the employees and the customers.

Finally, it’s contagious! The waves of excitement rolling off passionate leaders is heady. It creates euphoria which others eagerly absorb. It makes employees and customers feel like they are apart of something significant.

You don’t have to be a CEO to be passionate about what you do! Passion can occur at any level, and it’s not always related to the product or service the company is offering. As a mid-level manager you could be passionate about development and focused on helping your employees reach the next step of their careers. You could be passionate about quality, deliverables, or ensuring your department creates the best product. Passion can manifest itself in many areas, and it is important in maintaining motivation.

This comes with a warning. Passion can become an addiction, which is not healthy. If your passion compels you to sacrifice your health, your family’s well-being, or other basic responsibilities, you need to reexamine your priorities. Like every good thing, if used inappropriately it can be harmful.

If you aren’t passionate about what you do in some way, find something else! Passion allows you to feel job satisfaction and encourages you to do the best job possible. Remember, the connection between your passion and your work may not always be directly obvious, but it needs to be there. Go and use your passion!