WEW 30 - Fueling Your Leadership with Passion: Beyond the Workplace

My best friend took the train in from Princeton to have lunch with me. I shared some of my tactics for managing my life: regular workouts, radical self accountability, the healing power of crystals, the whole laundry list. It's a long list.

"Yes, that works for you, but you are super-human, most people can't do all that."

I love this friend dearly but I couldn't disagree with that response more. I am able to handle my job with ease and support my family and deal with ever increasing complexity BECAUSE of everything I do. Doing those things is what makes me seem, in his words "super-human."

It's not the first time either that I've been coached in one way or another that I can't expect others to operate at my level. But I do. As a leader I expect this because I know what people are capable of.

Over the last two newsletters we have talked about passionate employees and dispassionate work, so I won't rehash my thoughts there. Today I want to talk about the image you project as a leader by being more than a job description.

For most employees the idea of working hard so they can get harder work isn't appealing. And like it or not, your life is actually an aspirational model for many. They don't just want what you have, they are actively working to achieve it. So if you want to have a cohort of your staff on the rise, you need to make what you have look appealing.

Falling out of shape, having nothing to talk about but the business at hand, wearing worn out clothes, being low energy and so many more signals show that the crown is heavy and maybe not worth it. You need to project an image that people want to achieve. And I know from experience, even just faking it will make you feel better too.

I mentioned a few indicators above to achieve a desirable projection. My challenge to you for this week however is to project passion. If you have your act together at work, lean into one activity outside of what you are paid to do this next week and lean into it hard. Deliver on everything you committed to AND make time to do that thing you dream about every night. And the week after? Brag about it to your team.

If your team can see that you have their backs and work just as hard as them AND have time to do what you care about at work and at home they will be motivated to do the same . And when you do this and they do this, I promise you will all FEEL better and work better.

Ironically, working harder and on more things can make life feel easier and more fun.

As I say often "I lift so I can lift."

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