Four Actions for Creating a Passionate Team

In my last post I talked about the power of passion. Today I want to address a question I’ve been asked a few times this week: “How do you create passion?”

Honestly, I can’t create a fire in your belly to be passionate about what I’m passionate about. Passion is a hunger. What I can do is inspire, share vision, and create an environment that will motivate and excite you in a way that hopefully your passion and hunger are satisfied. Here are four actions that have helped me influence, attract, and grow passionate teams:

1. Have a vision worth being passionate about.

Most of the teammates I work with are passionate about impacting people. In our organization, our mission is to help leaders live out leadership. It’s a simple mission statement, yet the passion we have in pulling this off is incredible. Our inspiration, John Maxwell, inspires and challenges people to be great leaders. We all know it’s our job to help leaders live it out. Our team is energized by this shared vision that keeps us all working toward the same destination.

2. Get a rally cry.

A rally cry gets a team excited and passionate about achieving something great. I’ve had a few rally cries in my career.

KB – This was code for “kick butt!” When my husband and I first opened our staffing franchise more than 20 years ago, we were small but mighty. We had every intention of being No. 1 in the company and No. 1 in the community. Our team was passionate about this powerful rally cry, and we did attain and sustain the No. 1 position in the company.

Bounce Back – This was our business’s rally cry in 2002 as we aggressively worked to bounce back from the 2001 recession. We had bouncy balls hanging from the ceiling everywhere in our office.

Groundswell – It’s hard to create big changes in a big corporate atmosphere, so when I led in a large corporation, our team took the groundswell approach. We decided we would work hard to influence leadership growth from the ground up. We were passionate about infiltrating leadership throughout the company. Groundswell kept us motivated to make a difference in the middle of the organization.

Live It Out – This is our organization’s current battle cry. We reflect it in how we serve our clients. It’s a rally cry we believe in, and we hold ourselves accountable to it. We want to be better leaders.

3. Laugh out loud!

Life is too short to not have fun with your teammates! Did you know that laughter actually gives you energy and stimulates your brain? As a leader, this means you can’t take yourself too seriously! Leaders who think they need to be the most important person have a hard time laughing at themselves. Passionate people are full of life and they express it. Create a culture where fun is alive and encouraged.

4. Know what your teammates are passionate about.

When I know what a teammate is passionate about, I am able to serve them and motivate them toward that hunger. I want to lead a company that can satisfy the passions of every individual on the team. To do that, I have to know what every individual is passionate about. Then I have to communicate how their passion connects to our vision and mission. When the company’s goals align with the employee’s goals, it’s a win-win partnership.

Leading a passionate team isn’t always easy. You’ve got to keep up with the pace, as passion holds a lot of energy. But I think it’s an honor to lead a passionate team, and it’s the leader’s responsibility to create an environment that nurtures the power of passion.