Guest Column: Leading With Passion

Chamber membership connects you to a community of business people whose skills and experiences are an invaluable resource. From time to time, we present guest columns from your fellow members that can inform, inspire and educate. This month, Stella M. Shanovich, audit partner at Grant Thornton LLP and the first woman admitted to the partnership in their Phoenix office, presents a passion play.

Say the phrase “passionate leadership” out loud. What is the first thing that comes to mind? Were you wondering whether you should continue reading or were you nodding your head as if it made sense?

Interestingly, the origin of the word “passion” comes from passio or suffering (Webster, 1979). As such, passion is loaded with emotion, with desire, with action, and with thought. Passion is at the root of creative genius, personal transformation and notable events. While leadership has many dimensions and meanings, we will use "...the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations" from The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner.
 
Now as we think about our organizations, what is one of our most precious resources? I believe it is our people, who bring skills, training, desire, knowledge, dreams, concerns, misconceptions, past work experiences, socialization differences, hope, energy and more. Imagine the ability to create synergy from the cumulative effect of each employee interacting with his/her work and with each other to deliver the highest quality and level of client service.

Given the escalating demand for talent, the current economic conditions, reduced labor pool, focus on work/life balance and the various difficulties in achieving our business goals, being passionate leaders in attracting, developing, and retaining our employees is critical. As outlined in Transforming Work by Patricia Boverie and Michael Kroth, there has never been a more important time for leaders to create places where individuals come to work each day charged up and excited about the work they are asked to do – places where people are passionate about their work. Passionate leaders are critical to a healthy and vibrant organizational culture.

Passionate work is the difference between lethargy, manipulation, we-versus-them and “just tell me what to do” employees versus highly productive problem-solving, tightly focused, creative employees. It generates employees focused on generating ideas, exercising more discipline, exhibiting more perseverance, working smarter not harder, and inspiring others to higher levels of performance. Organizations need people for their talent, their energy, and their effort; people need organizations for the rewards they provide. These rewards are intrinsic (e.g., important work, creative outlets), extrinsic (such as salary, benefits), or social (affiliation, social integration).

“We may affirm absolutely that nothing great in the world
has been accomplished without passions.”
G.W.F. Hegel, Philosophy of History, 1832

So now think again of the words “passion” – intensity, focus, unwavering commitment – and “leadership” – shared objectives/goals. Passionate leadership is total engagement – being safe to think (and step outside) the box. Passionate leadership creates a nurturing environment that is provides meaningful and challenging (but realistic) work, opportunities for learning, incentives and rewards, and understands and balances the pressures of immediate tasks and the bottom line with employees’ personal needs, and encourages fun. The RESULT is employees who are ready to face the day’s opportunities – employees who love what they do! Passionate leadership is extreme leadership!