Tag Archives: Importance of Passion

Today, more than ever, you need your network to help you through difficult times. When your business faces challenges, it is your network of friends and associates that can help you get through. As the Founder of BNI® , which operates more than 10,000 networking groups in over 70 countries, I have learned the importance of this firsthand. I’ve also learned that it starts with our own actions.

You Must Believe

First, you must believe that you can pivot your business and find ways to help more people. You must believe in what you can do for people during the challenging times.

There is an old story of two shoe salesmen who were sent to different parts of a developing nation to see if there was a market for their shoes.  After one week, the first salesman wrote back to the company and said, “No one wears shoes here. There is no market for us. Send me a return ticket.”

The second shoe salesman wrote back to the company and said, “No one wears shoes here – there’s a huge market for our shoes. Send me a large shipment.”

You must believe in yourself and the people around you. Believe that you can pivot. Believe that your network can help you in this process.

I see people in the exact same professions who believe it is possible to pivot, and people who believe it is not possible to pivot during challenging times. Whether you think that you can or that you cannot, you will probably be right.

The Importance of Passion

You must have passion about what you do. Make sure that you and your team are working in your flame and not in your wax.
Let’s be clear about passion – it does not produce commitment.
Commitment produces passion.
Commitment and passion, together, produce results.
Nothing great in life has ever been done without passion and commitment.

Leadership Lessons

It is hard to overstate how important leadership is.
Quality leadership is not about managing and complying; it is about mobilizing and inspiring.

1.   It is about connecting with people. It is about giving clients and customers love, care, and attention.
2.   It is about inspiring people to take action.
3.   It’s about getting people to do six things a thousand times. Not a thousand things six times. It’s not about doing something so many times that you finally get it right – it’s about doing it so many times that you can’t get it wrong.
4.   It’s about coaching people effectively; guiding people and helping people. It’s about showing up to help them be a better version of themselves. That’s what leadership is.

Don’t overcomplicate things. Business doesn’t have to be complicated.
It is about three things: belief, passion, and leadership.

I believe anyone can do extraordinary things with the right mindset, plan, and effort. I believe that our vision controls our perception, and our perception becomes our reality. Set a vision that makes a difference to the people around you.
Why accept mediocrity when excellence is an option?
Excellence is always an option – even during difficult times.