I’ve written a number of times about the importance empathy, passion, and fostering a sense of shared purpose plays in our ability to succeed through our collective efforts, ideas that are normally considered too touchy-feely or soft to be of any practical benefit in the business world. Then again, in light of the rising tide of employee disengagement, the ability to empathize and communicate a shared sense of purpose is becoming ever more critical to an organization’s long-term health and viability.

But what about dreams? Could our dreams also help to push the boundaries of what’s known and familiar in order to ensure our collective success and growth? It’s an thought that came to mind after talking with my friend Whitney Johnson about her new book “Dare, Dream, Do”.

In most cases, any thoughts or discussions about the role dreams play in today’s business world tend to focus more on innovation and creativity; of how dreams of making a better product/service or learning to see the world differently has lead to so many of the breakthrough innovations that have changed and shaped the world we live in today.

Outside of inventing the next big thing, most of us tend to relegate dreaming as a skill needed only by the creative types, while the rest of us focus more on viewing the world through a pragmatic and practical lens.

But I would submit that our collective ability to dream shouldn’t be viewed as Click here to continue reading »”Do You Dare Your Employees To Dream?”

When you head off to work, do you feel passionate about the challenges and opportunities you’re about to face? Looking at the numerous studies that have shown the rise in employee disengagement found in today’s workplaces, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see most of you responding in the negative.

Of course, just to be clear, when I’m talking about being passionate about work, I’m not referring to those sentimentally-driven aspirations we had as children; of those feelings that had us dreaming about being an astronaut, a firefighter, a doctor or a teacher when we grew up.

Rather, I’m talking about that sense of passion that exists in all of us which fuels our drive to be a part of something bigger than our personal aspirations. That part of us which we use to gauge whether our lives matter because we’re making a difference in the world by doing work that has a purpose and meaning

Unfortunately for most of us, it’s this sense of passion that becomes the greatest casualty from the pressures of ‘growing up’ and entering the workforce. If there’s one thing most of us have experienced in those formative years early on in our careers, it’s being told by those more experienced than us that there’s no place for passion and its associated emotions in business or work.

And yet, in light of the evolving nature of today’s workplace, we’re beginning to appreciate just how vital that sense of passion is to Click here to continue reading »”Bringing Your Passion Back To Work”

Last week, I wrote about why it’s important that bosses take time off from work to go on vacation. It certainly was a timely piece and I’m grateful to see the enthusiastic response it garnered here in the blog comments section, on the various social networks, as well as being picked up as one of the top stories in last Friday’s SmartBrief on Leadership newsletter.

In that piece, I wrote that one of the reasons why leaders need to take a vacation is to “lead by example” in showing those under their stewardship how critical it is to take care of ourselves if we are to remain effective in our role. In an example of following the advice I share here on my blog, I’m taking a break from writing a new piece this week (along with a minimal presence online in general), in part to allow myself time to reflect on the ideas I want to share here in the coming weeks, as well as to prepare for a new feature I hope to launch on my site next week.

However, I don’t want to leave my readers without something new to read on my blog this week and so, I’m sharing a revised version of one of my blog readers’ favourite pieces I wrote last year. In this piece, I talk about how we can take the passion that fuels our drive to go out and do what we love, and transform it into that sense of purpose which ultimately allows us to succeed at reaching our goals. I hope you’ll enjoy it.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Passion.

It’s something that you hear a lot about these days as one of the keys to success, if not personal fulfillment. Many articles have been written lately on how to harness or foster that passion, including my own piece on how our passions spring forth from our inner strengths. Where we run into problems, though, is when we create this expectation that passion can sustain our drive over the long run. To illustrate what I mean by this, Click here to continue reading »”3 Steps To Transform Passion Into A Fulfilling Sense of Purpose”

Being Canadian, I’m sure it comes as little surprise that I’m not much of a baseball fan (growing up, hockey, football and soccer were the sports I preferred playing). Of course, you don’t have to be a fan of baseball to enjoy or relate to the wonderful stories, both humorous and inspiring, which have become a part of this sport’s history. There’s one story in particular I’d like to share because of the lessons we can glean from it on how leaders can approach the challenges they face in today’s globally connected and engaged world.

When it comes to baseball heroes, few are as well-known and revered as Babe Ruth, or as he’s affectionately known by baseball fans “the Bambino”. While he certainly had a storied career in baseball, it was during his declining years that we get a real appreciation for both of his dedication and drive to honour the sport he loved.

In October 1932, Babe Ruth and his team the New York Yankees faced the Chicago Cubs in Game Three of the World Series at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Although his team was performing well, winning the first two games in the series, Ruth himself was suffering from a batting slump. At the halfway mark of Game Three, Ruth was standing at home plate with two strikes against him when the crowd began to boo, adding to the heckling Ruth was already getting from his opponents in the Cubs dugout (a common behaviour among teams at this time in the sport’s history).

Faced with the natural decline in his physical abilities and this stream of negativity emanating all around him, the odds seemed to favour that the Bambino would strike out at bat. However, when the ball was pitched, Ruth not only hit the ball, but he hit it with such force that it ended up becoming one of longest home runs ever made at Wrigley Field.

After the game, a reporter went up to Babe Ruth and asked him what was going on in his mind at that moment. Ruth replied that he was thinking about what he always thinks about when he steps up to the plate – of “just hittin’ that ball”.

Ruth’s response is certainly a memorable and humble one, and I have no doubt that it’s moments like these in his career which transformed him from being viewed as a talented baseball player into a beloved sports legend. In addition to providing us with a glimpse at the man behind this legend, this story in its own way also helps to shed some light on three key attributes today’s leaders need to exemplify in order to be as successful as Babe Ruth when stepping up to the leadership plate. Click here to continue reading »”What Babe Ruth Can Teach Leaders About Facing Today’s Challenges”