Let Your Passion Inspire Others

Guest Blog Post by Howard C. Fero and Rebecca L. Herman

(Authors of the book "LEAD ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME:  Stories And Strategies To Develop Major League Leadership" which uses storytelling in a powerful way)

In baseball and in life, the leaders with the most passion are the ones who will be most successful at inspiring their teams.During our research, numerous players throughout Major League Baseball identified passion as one of the most important characteristics their managers can have because they want to see their managers excited and with fire in their eyes. There are many behaviors we can adopt from coaches and managers in sports to develop our Major League Leadership © and being more visible with our passion is certainly one of them.

What is passion anyway and how can I have it at work? Most simply put, passion is doing something you love. It doesn't need to be a romantic idea of living on an island and writing a romance novel or being a starving artist on the streets of Paris. Both of those are fine but most of us want to have love in our work and pay the bills at the same time.  Think of passion as a state of mind. What are you enthusiastic about? It could be your organization, its mission, perhaps the people on your team or even the customers you serve.

For our passion to be an asset, we need to share it with others. We must show compassion and provide hope to those around us by allowing our genuine enthusiasm to shine through. As leaders we must remember that when people are struggling, that is the time they need their manager to stay positive, be compassionate, and help to pick them up by giving them hope. Compassion and hope help us to remain optimistic even in the most difficult times. Maintaining a positive attitude can provide measurable results because of its affect on work performance. When people are happy and engaged in their work, they truly perform better.

But how do we let our passion and enthusiasm shine in a challenging situation?When Bob Melvin was brought in to manage the last place Oakland A's in June of 2011, over a third of the way into the baseball season, he was faced with a team that was nine games under the .500 mark, laden with injuries, and certainly not very positive and optimistic. It was up to Melvin to show his passion and motivate his team, but also be realistic with them that the chances of them winning their division were slim.Melvin's passion, optimism, and honesty led to a renewed energy in 2011 and helped him to receive a three-year contract after the season. It was his passion and authentic leadership that enabled his 2012 team of formerly unproven players to become a post-season threat.

By demonstrating our passion, our compassion, and our positivity, we are leading ourselves in a way that others will be engaged by our actions and be inspired to lead themselves and those in their lives in this manner as well.Passion is a foundational Base of leadership and essential as we develop our Major League Leadership©. What is your passion and how will you start sharing it today?

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 About the Authors

Howard C. Fero, PhD, The Leadership Doc, is a leadership speaker, professor, consultant, executive coach, and co-author of LEAD ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME:  Stories And Strategies To Develop Major League Leadership.  He is the Director of Graduate Leadership Programs and an Associate Professor of Management and Leadership at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT, and was recently recognized as a Business New Haven Rising Star.

Rebecca L. Herman, PhD, is a leadership professor, transformational speaker, passionate volunteer leader, baseball blogger, avid photographer, and co-author of LEAD ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME:  Stories And Strategies To Develop Major League Leadership.  Dr. Herman is a Professor of Leadership and Organizational Development for Kaplan University’s School of Business graduate programs.

For more information please visit leadmeouttotheballgame.com