You can’t be successful in this world without caring about what you do. An uninspired baker will probably never open a massively popular bakery. An entrepreneur who hates working with finances won’t be able to gather much capital. You can’t become a famous singer if you play lackluster music.
You can, however, become a CEO of a business if you are dedicated to that company’s mission. You can develop software the entire world will use if you love technology and solving problems. Passion is important to business success, regardless of the field, for both the short- and long-term.
When you think of “successful business person,” who comes to mind? Oprah Winfrey? Steve Jobs? Bill Gates? As Oprah herself said, “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” She and all her successful peers were excited about their work.
When you wake up each morning excited about your day, you get a lot more accomplished, and you’re less likely to be deterred by inevitable failure (which is a crucial part of success). If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, then why are you even doing it?
But wait, you say—what use is passion without talent? Oprah and Bill are good at what they do. So was Steve. They had the education, the know-how, and mental acuity to achieve what they did. If that’s your current attitude, you should know another quote from none other than Albert Einstein: “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
Albert raises a good point — passion is the key to success because it helps you focus; passion helps you look at the intricacies of your business and approach them in such a way that you won’t be deterred by the learning curve. You need to know what goals to reach for and what holes to fix.
Kip Skibicki, founder of both StarChild Management and Top Notch Threads, is well aware that the most successful businesses are those that regularly assess themselves and find ways to improve.
When setting out to grow your business, Mr. Skibicki advises, “Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends, family, and other personal connections to discuss your venture. Provide information and ask for feedback. As long as you’re spreading the word, you’re in position for good things to happen.” Dispassionate business people are not the kind to reach out to their personal connections—why would they, if they’re not invested in their own success?
When you reach out to others, though, revealing your passion is a phenomenal attention-grabber. Not only does it let others know that you care about what you are doing and have every intention of seeing things through, but it’s also your chance to let your face shine. Let your eyes glitter and your smile suggest how much you love pursuing your goals. When others can tell how passionate you are, they are much more likely to help you.
Mr. Skibicki can also give witness to the power of common passion. When multiple people are passionate about the same goal, synergy happens. As the founder of two creative companies, he attests that “giving individuals the freedom to determine how to create their best work and optimize their own productivity is really important. When companies set confining working constraints, it’s detrimental to all. However, when companies give their employees freedoms like flexible hours, it fosters better work. Everyone has a different working style and it’s imperative that organizations support each individual’s needs.”
Inhibiting people’s love for their work can only detriment a business. That common passion needs to be nurtured. David Lucatch, founder and CEO of Yappn Corp (a real-time translation service), says, “A person with passion exudes confidence, and confidence creates value for themselves and others by leading the way, not showing the way… professionals who are excited create enthusiasm in their teams and with others, and are viewed as great supporters.”
Confidence is what will inspire your personal connections to help you and gives your employees or colleagues sharper aim toward certain goals. A business will fail if the person or people running it have no investment in its future. They can be top-class business geniuses, but will ultimately accomplish nothing if they can’t convince others their business is worthwhile. And that’s what all businesses are dependent on—other people.
Life coach Sandra Dawes agrees, “Life is good when you’re doing what you love! When you’re living on purpose and doing what you love, things start to flow much easier. Things that once seemed like the end of the world are no longer a big deal. Challenges and obstacles are seen as tests to our commitment rather than cruel punishment from the universe. You know why you do what you do and it makes your heart sing.”
What are you passionate about, and how can it help you be successful?
