“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
How do you feel around passionate people? Uplifted. Happy. Captivated. Energized. It does not matter what subject they are talking about. You will listen and enter their world. For sure, if it is a common interest, the effect is duplicated. This is why passion is so important at work. Not all tasks are fun and you are not always “living the dream”. However, a passionate leader’s energy is contagious and will help the team achieve greatness.
Personal History
As mentioned in my previous articles, my favourite leadership position was as a production supervisor on 12-hour night shifts.
My passion in management is to teach, support, empower and see the growth in my team members.
My employees on the night shift being mostly “green” meaning inexperienced, I was free to train them the way I saw fit. No other bosses higher in the hierarchy were present to tell me what to do.
A Real Paradise for My Little Experiment
My shift started at 6:30 PM and was supposed to finish at 7 AM. But I rarely finished before 9 AM on weekdays, sometimes pushing it to 11 AM or noon. I used the extra time to gather information necessary for my team to thrive and grow.
Was I tired?
Sometimes but I saw the big picture.
I was doing it for my team.
My team knew the sacrifices I made to ensure our success and the energy and positiveness I was bringing every night.
There is a big difference between choosing to stay at work and being forced to stay at work.
The latter often occurred in my early career and it was terrible.
On the other hand, I enjoyed every minute of this extra time when I did it for my team as a supervisor.
A Passion for Management
Again, management for me is a passion. I can talk about it for hours and I like to learn about it every day. When something is a passion, you do not count the hours you spend doing it. Time flies…
I was using this passion to teach key employees that showed leadership potential, the first step in people management. Also, to promote the power of collective thinking to find solutions to our problems. Both these aspects empowered employees, increased employee development and removed pressure from my shoulders to handle everything.
When you are a leader full of energy, with a positive mindset and willing to work as hard as every member of your team to help you reach your collective objectives, it will increase your team members’ engagement.
It also creates a positive workplace culture.
Engaged employees in a positive workplace culture are more creative, motivated and have a stronger sense of purpose. This atmosphere improves team collaboration and resilience.
How long does it take?
It does not come overnight.
If your team was wounded in the past and they have trust issues, it might take a little bit of time for them to start believing that this is not an act and that you are truly passionate about leading your team with passion and positiveness.
It might test your resilience.
But stay the course, it works
When it does, you will feel it and see the big impact it will have on your team’s team work, productivity and the achievement of your goals.
If you want to work with engaged employees in a positive workplace, lead by example and find a way to be passionate, or at least motivated to lead your team to success.
The employees mimic your behaviour. Passion invites passion.
Discover the 5 Must-Ask Questions for Happy Teams
Do you want to better understand what motivates your team members and could help you create a happy team? My practical guide, 5 Must-Ask Questions for Happy Teams, is designed to provide you with simple and effective tools to:
- Create a climate of trust within your team
- Identify the true needs and aspirations of your employees
- Encourage meaningful conversations that foster collaboration
- Boost engagement and collective performance
- Anticipate and resolve challenges before they become obstacles
If you’re ready to transform your leadership style and build a more engaged and high-performing team, I’m here to support you. Together, we’ll work on concrete solutions to tackle your current challenges and achieve your future goals. Contact me today to learn more.
Carl-Michael Tessier
Coach in high-performance team development and tailor-made support
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