A common characteristic of successful leaders is a deep sense of passion. Passion is the glue that helps teams stick to their plans in the face of adversity and over time. There are three success factors for leaders who harness the power of passion.
Paint the picture
Concentration and competence engage the minds of followers. To engage their hearts and ignite their passion, we must respond to one of their most basic psychological needs – to contribute to something greater than work, to find meaning in their work.
Imagine this scenario: three workers breaking rocks side by side on a construction site. When asked, “What is your job?” the first worker replied, “My job is to do what I am told for eight hours a day so that I can get a check.” The other worker replied, “My job is to grind stones.” The third worker said, “My job is to build a cathedral.”
Which of these three workers do you think would be the most engaged, the most productive and would go further? The third, which included his work, was probably much larger than the simple crushing of stones. He understood that he was contributing to a higher goal than his own efforts.
Of course, people will become more passionate about their work when they see the big picture clearly. To paint the image of your team, answer the four questions followers frequently ask (and they ask these questions – whether you hear them or not):
1. Where are we going? (Strategy)
2. What are we doing to get there? (Planning)
3. How can I contribute? (Roles)
4. What is there for me? (Rewards)
Painting the picture might seem like a soft and intangible process; but it gives hard concrete results.
Appreciate your values
More important than what your team does is the way your team does it – in other words, the values of your team. Values help build a common goal and a set of standards. Team values can include collaboration, innovation, zero defects or customer engagement.
Your efforts to communicate team values play a key role in creating a unique community of team players who share a common goal and passion.
Communicating values should be a natural consequence of your passion for leadership. It’s best to just describe the behavior that illustrates each value. This helps to understand the purpose of the values and minimizes misinterpretations
If you don’t appreciate your team’s values, no one else will. Take the time to communicate the values of your team, let your followers find their own passion and above all, live them!
Give what you want
Leaders who create passionate teams truly value their people, not just their followers. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. It’s easy to appreciate the best performers who save you from tight spots. However, it is more difficult but more meaningful to value all members of your team, regardless of their relative contributions.
Remember,medical college,that at the end of the day, your success depends more on what your team do than on what you do. We all have someone who provides what we need to make us more productive. Appreciate these people.
Leading with passion will enhance your team’s discretionary effort – more time and energy they will willingly give to achieve your team’s goals. Give what you want and you will get what you need.
Passionate leaders promote passionate teams. Passionate teams create powerful results!
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