When You Lack Passion, Your Team Takes a Hit

“Nothing is as important as passion. No matter what you want to do with your life, be passionate.” — Jon Bon Jovi

Leadership is about so much more than job titles and assigned tasks.  Leadership is about taking ownership of the organization or division’s vision and empowering and inspiring others to take action to bring that vision to life.

It takes passion to lead; it also takes passion to turn nothing into something.  

So, what is passion?

Passion is a feeling of positive connection, excitement, and enthusiasm for something that is meaningful to you personally.  

• It’s what drives writers to get the stories in their heads onto paper.
• It’s what fuels musicians need to perfect their craft.
• It’s what moves innovators to do things that have never been done.
• And it’s what empowers leaders to inspire others

But what happens when you, as the leader, don’t have a passion for the work or to lead? We’ve all been there.  

That place where your lack of passion has spread and you are simply: 

• Going through the motions

• Checking off the boxes to achieve the bare minimum

• Feeling drained

• Feeling disconnected from the work, the team, and even the company

Until you ultimately find yourself in a place of dread whenever the mere thought of work enters your mind.

“You can’t fake passion.” — Barbara Corcoran

Even though you have been physically showing up to lead, if you’ve lost your passion, it shows.

• Your team feels it. 
• Your leader feels it. 
• Your work reflects it.
• And, you’re no longer making the difference you once were.

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” — Nelson Mandela

• Leading without passion has consequences for you and those you lead.
• When you find yourself leading without passion, you are in a place where you have lost perspective and direction.  
• Sadly, it’s a double-edged sword.

You’ve lost the connection between vision and passion.

Being present is about being connected to, and mindful in, the moment.  If you’re going through the motions, then you are not in the proper mental state to support the vision.  This affects you, those you lead, and the company as a whole. 

Without a passionate leader, your team is lost.

As a leader, you are the key to your team’s unobstructed view of the big picture.  Without your clarifying and empowering leadership, they will become disconnected from the mission, grow disengaged, and eventually leave.  This happens not because they no longer believe in the vision, but because you’re now standing in the way of the vision.

If you realize that you’ve been operating without passion, you need a repeatable process that will not only determine why and how you lost it, but that will also help you re-establish your leadership passion.  Stay tuned for our upcoming posts where we cover what it looks like when employees have lost passion. We even have a post breaking down the simple and powerful steps you can take to get back on track and making the difference you were designed to make.

Can’t wait for next week?  Give us a call today, and let’s work on closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be!