Passion, Commitment and the Golden Egg

Monday, April 21, 2008 | 1 p.m.

A friend of mine was recently invited to be a partner in an architectural firm. He asked me for some advice regarding what to consider in making his decision.

In 1988, I was in the same position as my friend is today. I remember clearly that anxious feeling–a mixture of excitement for the possibilities and fear of the unknown. I’m glad today that I didn’t know then what I know now! I knew so little about business. I survived on pure adrenaline and naivety. I didn’t know enough not to be persistent. Not knowing caused me to read everything I could get my hands on and not filter it through already having done it. Our firm was able to chart our way as we wanted and didn’t get stuck doing things the way others did.

So back to the advice for my friend. There are three overarching themes that one should understand about moving into a leadership position in a company: passion, commitment, and the Golden Egg.

Passion. To succeed in business you must be passionate about what you do. You must believe in it so strongly that others around you get swept away by your excitement. Think of people you’ve met throughout your life. You can tell who’s passionate about what he does and who is just going through the motions.

Business will have its ups and downs; you’ll have good days and bad. Passion for what you are doing and a clear understanding of why you are doing it will get you through these times. Take the time to really think about what you are doing and be sure you have a good reason that aligns with your values.

Commitment. Commitment is one of the keys to success in business. While it goes hand in hand with passion, commitment is much deeper. Seek a clear understanding of your business and its value to you and to its customers. Clearly understand the business’s operating principles and the values that are held sacrosanct. If your vision of the future and the direction of the business are in alignment, you are at a great starting point!

Commit to what you believe. Early in their careers, most people are altruistic. Committing to business altruism is difficult, but it has great rewards. You can be committed to a higher purpose beyond your core competency and become highly compensated for your efforts.

The Golden Egg. To be and to stay in business, you’ll need to find a way to supply your business oxygen–the money to make it all work. Equally important, you’ll need to figure out how to do it and not kill the goose. Too many businesses figure out how to make a lot of money, but they do it on the backs of their employees, eventually burning their people out and losing talent and investment in the process.

Find a way to engage the hearts and souls of those who work for your organization. In my experience, this is one of the keys to long-term financial stability. Just look at the turnover rates of so called “sweat shop” companies and think of the stranded costs of that turnover and how the quality of the work is affected. Again, this goes against prevalent business practice, but strive for mutuality in your employee relationships.

In closing, look at other businesses and study how they operate. Clearly understand what you want and how your firm can be great; then find a way to connect the dots. This will allow your passions to soar, your commitment to grow, and the golden eggs to be plentiful.

I’d like to hear from you:

• Can you identify a person who is passionate and committed to his business? Do you know someone who is not? What similarities and differences do you notice?

• Why do you want to be in a business leadership position?

Until next time …

Craig