When you're living your Passion, it's not Work
Updated: Jan 8, 2019
“You can do anything as long as you have the passion, the drive, the focus, and the support.”
– Sabring Bryan
This past week, I had the opportunity to experience some proud parent moments with two of our children, that really made me think about how purpose and passion impacts results.
Our son is a junior in college majoring in business, and is not a huge fan of school. However, he is a huge outdoors man and is passionate about duck hunting and fishing. During his sophomore year, he had the opportunity to attend a state Ducks Unlimited banquet where he met the regional director. That introduction sent him down a path of starting up a Ducks Unlimited chapter at his university. This past week, the chapter had their inaugural banquet on campus, and raised over $14,000. This money goes to support duck habitat so that he can enjoy his passion of hunting, and ensure that it is preserved for future generations. Now, had I asked him to put that time and effort into another project that he was less passionate about, the results would not be the same. When it’s a passion, it’s not work. When it’s not work, the results are incredible.
Similarly, this week we road tripped with our daughter to Iowa to interview for graduate school. This was a 10 hour single day road trip for an hour and a half interview. She won’t hear back on whether she is accepted for another 2-3 months. In preparing herself for her future career, she has been working with autistic children to gain additional experience as she pursues a career in occupational therapy. Her drive is inspiring. She is wiling to do whatever it takes to pursue her passion to help others. For her, failure is not an option.
Working with many business owners, I see those that have a passion and purpose to pursue their vision. When that vision becomes contagious to the rest of the organization, the work becomes more than making a widget, or increasing sales, it becomes a greater cause. When you provide a vision of a higher purpose and engage the passion of your employees, the results will come.
In working with organizations of different sizes, in different industries, and with different leadership, there are some key characteristics that separate those driven by purpose and passion and those that are driven by the dollars.
It all comes down to leadership:
Leaders that are able to articulate a vision greater than themselves
Leaders that are willing to take personal risks
Leaders that are vulnerable
Leaders that see mistakes as opportunities
Leaders that are continuous learners
Leaders that engage the strengths of their people and provide opportunities for growth
What kind of leader are you? Do you engage others or are you a lone soldier? Do you have a high self awareness? Do you see that vision and purpose need to be driven by you?
When an organization has a clearly articulated purpose, and leadership that has a passion driven vision that is not only communicated regularly, but lived out each and every day, good things happen.
What type of organization do you want to work for? An organization whose only purpose is sales and profit, or a leader with the above characteristics. I, myself, believe that purpose and passion create energy, the ability to overcome obstacles, and achieve successes beyond oneself.
In watching my children pursue their passions, I know they will be successful in whatever they do. Because, what they are pursuing is a purpose greater than themselves, and their passion will allow them to keep pushing forward even when times are tough. Challenges make us stronger, but only if purpose and passion exist to allow us to overcome.
“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less that the one you are capable of living.”
– Nelson Mandela
Jayne McQuillan, CPA, MBA, CEPA is a strategic management consultant, and the owner of Journey Consulting, LLC, in Green Bay