Passion and its place in business

Many family business leaders are not only good managers and clever strategists – they are also passionate.  They have deep and fiery commitments about what they are trying to accomplish, how they are trying to do it, and even why success is important.

• “I want to prove that we can make the best products in our industry and do it under the strictest environmental standards.”
• “I intend our business to be number 1 in the market, and I mean to share the dream with all our employees.”

Passion is demonstrated in excellent leadership and the capacity to inspire and motivate employees. A compelling vision also motivates the leaders themselves.  We often see business builders who accomplish more than they ever imagined possible. They have the need and the never-fully-achievable desire to improve constantly. A passionate vision that also meaningfully addresses how to achieve success further strengthens the motivation of an entire organisation.

Passionate family business leaders are committed to international benchmarking and to the constant effort and studying required to be truly world-class. They have a commitment to being a steward – to assure that what has been created will continue far into the future – coupled with the understanding that to be a business leader is a privilege. And they are usually willing to share with others.

• “My real goal is to prove how much employees can do when we educate them and empower them”.

Such characteristics go far beyond the normal goals of businesses, such as “growing at x% and returning a profit of y%".

That is passion!