PASSION

Aug

2023

Burning Passion

I was in the backyard cleaning up the bushes I had cut down and to save some garbage bags I built a fire to burn a lot of the remnants. As I was going back and forth feeding the fire I was thinking about how this is similar to keeping our leadership passion alive.

Let’s be honest. There are days we get a dip, and the original passion is not there. We get frustrated with life and the responsibilities of leading. Or we are simply tired and need a break. As I thought about this fire concept, I thought of four places we could be when it comes to our passion for leading.

Leaves

When you put leaves on the fire they burn fast and make a cool crackling sound sometimes. They are fun to watch but flame out and increase the smoke.

This is what I would call squirrel leadership. We get excited because some external force like a book, a conference, or a conversation gets us excited. When everyone around us is excited, we are excited, but then we flame out quickly. This kind of leadership leaves people frustrated because we have no sustained focus.

Twigs

As I was working on this project, it was exhausting. I was dealing with a bunch of leaves and twigs. Twigs burn longer than leaves, but to keep the fire going I had to constantly go back and forth adding more twigs.

This is experience leadership. We are fired up when we get the new deal, are at the event or whatever gives us that dopamine rush. Then we flame out until we find the next deal, new project, event, etc.

This kind of leadership leaves (no pun intended) people exhausted. Similar to above, the leader has a lack of focus. Unlike above, the leader gets excited about a new vision after some experience and the team doesn’t experience consistency. The leader is either high or low and the team is never sure what they will get.

Logs

When I build a fire to relax around and talk I throw on some logs. There are twigs to get us started, but the logs keep the fire burning consistently. Occasionally I have to turn the log or put another on the fire, which creates a long, slow burn.

This is steady leadership. A leader who is like a log has a deep, steady passion for what he or she leads. This is a leader who is clear on the vision but will adjust the plan strategically to accomplish it. This leader brings reassurance to the team that we are going somewhere and there is a plan.

Embers

These come after logs have burned down. They look cool from afar, but if you get your hand close they are intensely hot. These are what you use to cook your hotdog or slowly roast a nice brown marshmallow.

This is intense and confident leadership. The logs have burned down to embers meaning time has passed, and the vision is clearly working because there is still a fire. This leader from afar looks calm and collected, but up close, he or she has just as much passion as in the beginning. The passion is actually hotter because the results have strengthened the leader’s confidence.

Which of these resonates with where your passion for your vision is now? Are you flaming out as quickly as you are excited? Do you need to get around others who will help you learn and grow to light your fire? Do you need to tweak your vision and add another log? Is it time to light others on fire with your burning embers? Leadership is influence, and fires start with a tiny spark. What do you need to light your fire, or whose fire do you need to light today? Need a thinking partner to give a little oxygen to help strengthen your fire? Contact me for a one-on-one coaching session to think into your leadership. Keep the fire burning and lead well.

Nov

2018

What Can Youth Teach Us About Leadership?

Sitting at the fourteenth annual Power of Children awards presented by the Indianapolis Children’s Museum which I had the privilege of attending at the invitation of one of the award recipients. This is a young lady I have gotten to know over the past year through The John Maxwell Team.

This lady has been impacting the world through an organization she started called S.T.E.P. where she provides shoes to people around the world who cannot afford shoes. This project started years ago after experiencing a terrible flood where her family lost everything.

She was one among six young women that evening joining a special group of over 66 children who have led by stepping out and pursuing a vision to make the world a better place.

Before each individual was recognized, presented their grant check, and had an opportunity to share a brief story we were able to see videos describing each recipient’s story. While I watched these videos and the following morning watched more on The Indianapolis Children’s Museum website, I was struck by three leadership principles we can all learn.

Vision Each of the recipients have seen a need in the world. Often those needs came from a pain they experienced personally. One individual created an organization to help individuals with dyslexia because of her struggle with it. A past award winner created resources for youth with autism because of a need he experienced. These young men and women saw a need and then had an idea on how to meet that need.
Passion I don’t know each of these young men and women, but I sense they suspended the need to know how and just took the first step. Each of these young people exemplify a person with a burning passion to solve a problem in the world and do something. How often do we as leaders see a need and hesitate? We plan, we prepare, but when do we go? Passion is the fuel that helps us go as leaders.
Initiative When we have passion as our fuel, initiative comes easy. These young men and women did not sit and prepare, plan, and worry. Each of them took initiative and moved forward toward fulfilling their purpose for this time in their life. They started . . . that is all initiative is and now they as a group impact thousands of lives.

I look at what these young women and men are doing and am inspired. What about you? What is the need you feel passionate about and compelled to do something about? This may be a need directly or indirectly related to your professional or personal life. You see a solution, what is holding you back? Be like these young men and women and take initiative. What is your first step? No one climbed a mountain staying at the base, but they took the first step and kept going. Take the first step toward your dream and lead in a manner that will meet a need in this world you are created to meet. Lead well.

Dec

2017

Do You Feel Stuck?

A while ago I read a book by leadership expert John Maxwell called Intentional Living. This book discusses how to live purposefully and not simply run through your life aimlessly. It seems to me that at each decade of life a new question arises that causes me to think about what really matters. I recently hit one of those decades.

During this time I have asked myself if I am living as intentionally as possible. I have not spent these first decades of my life pursuing money and fame, but have sought to develop leaders particularly among the next generation, but can I be more intentional in what I do? As I read this book I came across a section that discussed how to find your why. When we know our why in life it makes the “what” of our life much more enjoyable.

John provides three clues to understand your why:

What do you cry about? Does a certain cause or injustice bring you to tears or are tears caused by a specific pain in your life?
What do you sing about? Is there something in your life that brings great inner joy such as helping others achieve success?
What do you dream about? If money were not a concern, what is it that you dream of accomplishing? Is it something so big you know you can’t do it alone? If you can do it alone, maybe the dream is not big enough.

Maybe you know these answers and you are in your passion zone, but still feel stuck in a rut. What can you do? Here are a few ideas:

Make a change and try a completely new job or role. Maybe your time where you are is up and you need a new challenge somewhere else if there is not an opportunity where you are. (Now, this does NOT apply at home just so you know)
Shift your mindset. Maybe you’ve had a desire to continually be getting and you are at a spot where you need to be giving more to others. Giving of your wisdom, giving of your time, giving a listening ear all may create a situation where you end up getting out of your rut.
Try to be a rookie at something. Why do we like getting a new _________ ? On one level this is because we are invigorated by the challenge of understanding and learning something new, but as we become experienced we can become bored. What is something you can approach like a rookie? Maybe a new skill, experience, or taking an appropriate personal or professional risk that will stretch you and make you grow.
Get objective help. At times we can benefit from someone who will help us think into our business, leadership, and life. An effective coach will help you do that because they will help you think into your results by asking questions.

This summer I had to help someone get their car out of the mud because they were in a rut with their tires spinning. Three other men and I gave the driver a push and after spraying mud all over us she was on her way. If you are stuck in a rut either personally or professionally hopefully this gives you a push to get out. It probably won’t be clean or easy, but it will be much better than staying stuck in the mud. Take the first step to lead yourself well in this so you will lead others better.