Do You Love What You Do?
Do you love what you do? Are you excited when you go into work each day? Are
you passionate about business success? When you wake up each morning are you
thinking about the thrill of victory?
I am a big Chicago Bears football fan. And if you live in the Chicago area and
love the Bears the way I do then you may want to stop reading right now. Why?
Because what I am about to say will be considered heresy to passionate Chicago
Bears football fans.
But, this is not an article about football. This is an article about being
passionate about what you do for a living. You need to live your life with
passion and love your work.
I am going to be watching football this weekend. There are only four teams left
in the race for the Super Bowl. After a season of ups and downs, mostly downs
for the Chicago team. I am going to be placing my hopes on the Green Bay
Packers.
A Seasoned Leader!
Why, is the anguish of the Chicago fans. Green Bay is our worst enemy. How can
you dare place your enthusiasm and support to those guys? One reason. Brett
Favre.
Though I am not a big Green Bay fan per se. I do respect Brett. Here is a man
with passion for the game. Passion for his job. Every weekend he is on the
field giving it his all for his team. He has lasted over 15 years (maybe more)
in an industry where it is rare for a person in his position (quarterback) to
last more than five years.
Become Passionate about Your Job
But, each Sunday when you watch him play you see his passion. Do you want to be
a leader? Become passionate about your job, your company and your industry.
People respect passionate leaders. They can see it in your eyes each day. They
hear it in your voice as you express opinions, your vision for the company and
your desire to serve your customer.
People can tell if you love what you do. They know. If you don't feel it, you
won't express it. You express it in your body language. Your willingness to go
the extra mile for your coworkers and customers. When you work a little later
to finish a project. When you smile at the people you work with. Guess what?
Leaders know who the passionate ones are. If there is a downturn in the
industry the ones that are passionate about the business will still have a job.
Brett Favre is that kind of leader. When he is pacing the sidelines you see his
passion in his face. As he talks with the other players on the team and they
discuss strategy, his passion is expressed. As he leads his team from one
endzone to the opposing team's endzone, his passion explodes. From raising his
hands in victory, to congratulating team mates and to doing the Lambeau Leap,
Brett's love for the game shines on his face.
Why has Brett lasted so long for so many years in a young man's game? Because
he loves what he does. Why is he considered a leader? Because it is natural for
passionate people to become leaders on and off the field.
Do You Want to be a Leader
Do you want to become a leader? Find a job or industry that you are passionate
about. You will become a leader. Express that passion each day in the
enthusiasm you bring to the job. You don't have to jump up and down and give
high fives to everyone in the office. You probably shouldn't slap all your
coworkers on the butt when they give an excellent performance! But, enjoy what
you do. Will there be times of stress? Yes. Times when things go bad? Yes. But,
work through those tough times and strive for the passion of excellence.
I worked for 10 years doing a job I was less than passionate about. I worked
for the United States Postal Service. Everyday I would go into work and see
people that were already retired. They still had 25 years to work. But, they
had no passion. No love for the game. They didn't desire to excel. It was just
a job. They were there until they could retire. End of story.
I desired more than that. I wanted to live life. I wanted to be challenged. I
wanted to live a life of ups and downs. I wanted to live the thrill of victory.
So. for the last 22 years I have been involved in a number of start up
companies. Some have done well. Others have flopped. But, I have passion for
the game. If I had continued to work for the Post Office I might be able to
retire now. But, I don't want to retire. I want to play the game.
Be in the Championship Game!
I want to be in the championship. I want to be excited about today, tomorrow
and my future. I want possibilities. That includes the possibility to fail. I
want to love life, love my job and love responsibility. Have fun in what you
do. Be passionate about your work everyday. It shows!
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