Passion, should we wear it on our sleeves?

Passion for work is generated by the value of that work - not by a mindless "passion" gene or character trait.

“Powerful, intense, and overwhelming enthusiasm” precisely explain passion hence when we are passionate we certainly feel fire, zeal and fervor in our belly. It is a self-driven behavior modification process. 

The passion dictates the desired behavior on one's own part. The trick is not just to feel passionately about your job, but to act passionately too. If you act passionately, you won't sit passively through another boring meeting. You can't. You will share that passion with the others in the meeting. Your energy can lift all of them. Even if it doesn't, you will feel better knowing you are doing something to advance the cause in which you believe passionately.

At some point in my career, one of the leader asked me, "Raj, I do not find you passionate enough"

"It is reflected through the work I have done so far. Frankly speaking, I do not like wearing it on my sleeves". I said.

I do remember when Indian Cricketer Sreesanth hit a six in one of the match, he danced down to the 22 yards. Similarly, we have found Bhajji also demonstrating his passion on the field. However, we have people like Rahul Dravid also who have scored 10,000 + runs and demonstrates dogged determination without showing off his emotion on his countenance and demeanor. It is imperative that we as Leadership Team understand the passion in its true sense.

I believe that while organization environment plays a critical role, however, a person passionate at job can be consistent in his job by his own drive and when situations are bad he continues to work with the same vigor or maybe more.

To consistently deliver and excel, it is imperative that we keep Sharpening the Axe. Let me share a brief story :

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asks for a job from a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees down."Congratulations," the boss said. "Go on that way!" Very motivated by the boss’ words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring down 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only could bring down 10 trees. Day after day he was bringing down less and less trees.

"I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on. "When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked.  "Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees..."

To get optimal results it is imperative that we sharpen our skills consistently. I do remember few lines from a poem "An Award" talking about work as "stimuli" which I scribbled long time back.

"Thy put every ounce of thy energy & ability,

In each of the job enshrined to thee, 

Thy kept thy enthusiasm, Everytime it plunged, 

Thy made an extra efforts & caught hold of it.

Thy worked with determination,
To come upto the trust & expectation bestowed upon thee.
Thy took every work with interest
And it worked not as work, But as "stimuli",
Thy continue feeding thy interests,
And they resulted in feeding thee...."