Fuel your brand with passion
Passion is an integral part of any great brand, whether it’s your personal brand, team brand or organizational brand. Martin Luther King is a good example of passion in a personal brand. Not only was he driven by his passion for justice, but he inspired that passion in others too. The same can be said of great team brands (just think of your favourite sports team and the feelings that it stirs up in you) or great company brands.
Here are three ways you can use your professional passion to achieve career success:
- Identify what you’re passionate about. Be specific. “I love my work” is too general. Think about the activities, people or subjects that really get you smiling and make a note of them. For example, you might be in the finance industry, but your real passion for your work comes from assisting clients to make the most of their resources so that they are able to retire comfortably. Or perhaps you are an HR manager will a real passion for empowering women in the workplace. Once you have identified your key passions, you will understand why you love certain kinds of work more than others, and you’ll be able to target those jobs and clients that will make your heart sing.
- Don’t hide your passion. Strangely, many people are afraid to demonstrate their passion in case it appears unprofessional. The opposite is actually true. Passion is contagious. If you are passionate about a project, your energy will motivate those around you. Your enthusiasm for your work is sometimes even more important than your technical skills in getting the job done.
- Connect with others who share your passion. When people with a shared passion work together, magic happens. Companies whose employees are passionate about the brand don’t have to worry about trying to train their staff to be brand ambassadors – it just happens naturally. Likewise, individuals who form strategic partnerships with others who share their passions find that it’s like turbo-charging their brand, with exponential growth opportunities suddenly available. Connecting with people with similar passions ensures an emotional connection and a deeper understanding of what makes them tick, as well as ensuring everyone is working towards a shared goal, which is a great foundation for a successful working relationship.