When you have the energy to fuel your passion, success is sure to follow.  The 1-2 punch of energy and passion is the key to success in life.  In order to be successful in any endeavor you will need to overcome much discouragement, frustration and failure, and the key to rising above these things is energy and passion.  That is why I always say that “Energy is the fuel to ignite passion and passion is the engine of success!”

In the movie Cinderella Man, Russell Crowe plays a down and out boxer that makes a dramatic comeback.  The backdrop to this movie is the great depression and previous to the great depression Crowe’s character, Jimmy Braddock was a champion boxer that lost his way.  After his comeback a reporter asks him, “You have lost before, what’s the difference this time?”  Jimmy Braddock then answers, “I know what I’m fighting for.”  The reporter follows up with, “And what’s that?” and Jimmy comes back with what I feel is the most memorable and inspiring line in the whole movie, he simply says, “Milk.”  That says it all; now he knew why he was fighting.  He was fighting to feed his kids. He was able to look defeat straight in the face and say, “Okay, one more round.”  He was able to overcome failure because he had the energy and passion to achieve his goal of putting milk on the table.  I feel this is the story of America.  A spirited passion for a worthy goal that will let nothing stand in her way.  “Okay, let’s go one more round” was the unspoken mantra for generations of Americans and what has made America the greatest country in the world.  

The 1–2 punch of energy and passion is the key to success in your career as well as your life.  People can feel your energy and passion.  Our job is to “sell” people on what we know will help them and you can’t do that by being lethargic. 

Many years ago when I got started in sales, I didn’t know how to sell but I was passionate and energetic.  One of my first clients told me that as my skill increases it is natural for my passion to wane.  He told me the key to my success will lie in my passion and if I can combine an infectious passion with proven sales skills, I will always be a top producing sales person.  Was he right!  Isn’t that what Mr. Ziglar has been teaching us for years? If we present our message with an infectious passion and conviction combined with a high level of energy, it will speak volumes to our prospects and “sell” them on taking action by using the best person in town…YOU! 

Put the 1-2 punch of energy and passion to work in your life so you can live the life of your dreams! 

The most revealing chapter of a leader’s journey begins when they ascend to their first position of influence. Much can be deciphered about a person’s character by observing how they wield authority.

Don’t misinterpret me; leadership transcends titles, and influence cannot be confined to positions of rank or seniority. Nonetheless, newfound authority carries the weight of responsibility. How a leader responds to that responsibility can be a measuring stick of their overall fitness to lead.

When leaders are handed authority, they enjoy broader latitude to exercise their leadership style. As positional leaders, they are able to implement their ideas more freely and instill their values more directly. The decisions they make at this critical juncture may either launch their careers or stunt their development.

In his blog for Harvard Business Publishing, Bill Taylor poses five questions aspiring leaders should consider as they assume the reigns of authority. For rising leaders, or those mentoring a leadership rookie, his material will be particularly beneficial.

Five Make-or-Break Questions for Aspiring Leaders

1) Why should great people want to work with you?

Money without mission attracts mercenaries. Talent “for-hire” flows to the highest bidder, and refuses to drop anchor. In the absence of a compelling vision, leaders find themselves presiding over a collection of individuals rather than leading a team.

As Bill Taylor writes, “great people want to feel like they’re part of something greater than themselves.” By offering more than a paycheck, an aspiring leader attracts values-based performers. Such employees are likely to forge emotional ties to the organization, take ownership of its mission, and invest themselves to accomplish its vision.

2) Do you know a great person when you see one?

“When it comes to evaluating talent, character counts for as much as credentials,” writes Taylor. Aspiring leaders are wise to hire people who, in addition to being competent, fit smoothly into the company’s culture. To do so, it may be necessary to endure the inconvenience (and extra work) of a longstanding opening until a suitable candidate surfaces.

3) Can you find great people who aren’t working for you?

Aspiring leaders may want to polish their sales pitch to attract star performers from outside the organization. According to Taylor, “Leaders who are content to fill their organizations with people actively looking for jobs risk attracting malcontents and mediocre performers.”

Talent will not beat a path to your door. The best leaders are actively on the lookout for key contributors. They look to hire, not when the need arises, but whenever they locate peak performers.

4) Are you teaching great people how your company works and wins?

In an effort to showcase their leadership skills, insecure leaders may rally their team to outperform others within the organization. The result: a counterproductive spirit of competition instead of togetherness.

Smart leaders are wary of silos. They define the win for their team and connect that win to the company’s overarching strategy. They recognize the power of a “we” mentality. As such, they prioritize connecting the performance of their people to the overall success of the company.

5) Are you as tough on yourself as you are on your people?

Bleed your creed. Undemonstrated or uncertain commitment on the part of a leader has a corrosive effect on that leader’s influence. Followers resent leaders who are unwilling to make the investment they demand of those they supervise.

Oppositely, leaders who pay the price to fulfill lofty self-expectations earn the right to place high standards on their people. By doing so, they are imbuing their authority with authentic influence.

Charismatic Leadership
by Dr. John C. MaxwellWilliam Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli were two of the fiercest political rivals of the 19th century. Their epic battles for control of the British Empire were marked by intense animosity that spilled over from the public arena into their personal lives. Ambitious, powerful, and politically astute, both men were spirited competitors and masterful politicians.

Though each man achieved impressive accomplishments for Britain, the quality that separated them as leaders was their approach to people. The difference is best illustrated by the account of a young woman who dined with the men on consecutive nights. When asked about her impression of the rival statesmen, she said, “When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in England. But after sitting next to Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest woman in England.”

What distinguished Disraeli from Gladstone was charisma. Disraeli possessed a personal charm sorely lacking in the leadership style of his rival. His personal appeal attracted friends and created favorable impressions among acquaintances. Throughout his career, Disraeli’s charisma gave him an edge over Gladstone.

They say that “everybody’s a critic,” and that never seems truer than when you’re pursuing a dream. There will always be well-meaning people who want to “protect” you from your “unrealistic fantasies.”  Critics tried to discourage the people profiled in Unstoppable.  Everyone ignored the negative input and achieved their goals.  Follow their lead and you, too, will be UNSTOPPABLE!

1. The timing is all wrong. In 1987, prior to accepting Paramount’s offer to host a late-night talk show, Arsenio Hall was told by everyone: “It’s too hard to crack into the late-night ratings. Television isn’t ready for a black talk show host. This is America, and you can forget it.”

2. Why don’t you get a real job? Not understanding his desire to become Mr. Universe, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s family pleaded with him, saying: “How long will you go on training all day in a gymnasium and living in a dream world?”

3. It’ll never work, you’ll lose everything. Weeks before she opened her first store, cosmetic tycoon Mary Kay Ash’s attorney said: “Liquidate the business right now and recoup whatever cash you can. If you don’t, you’ll end up penniless.”

4. Don’t rock the boat. In response to Muriel Siebertís application to be the first woman to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, officials responded: “The language on the floor is too rough and there’s no ladies’ room.”  She bought a seat anyway and remained the only woman there for nine years.

5. It’s never been done before. Upon applying for a job after graduation from Columbia University, announcers for NBC Radio responded to Sally Jessy Raphael: “You have the perfect voice for broadcasting, but you should get a job as a secretary. We’re not using women.”

6. You don’t have enough talent. Responding to his desire to become a recording artist, Ray Charles’ teachers said: “You can’t play the piano, and God knows you can’t sing. You’d better learn how to weave chairs so you can support yourself.”

7. Don’t even try, you’ll just be disappointed. When auditioning for a part in a high school musical, a teacher rejected Diana Ross saying: “You have a nice voice, but it’s nothing special.”

8. You don’t fit the mold OR you’re not the right “type.” Trying to convince her she didn’t have the right look, fashion photographer Richard Avedon told Cher: “You will never make the cover of Vogue because you don’t have blond hair or blue eyes.”  When she did make the cover, Vogue sold more copies than it had ever sold before.

9. Don’t give up your day job. Commenting on the first manuscript of an unpublished author, a New York publisher told James Michener: “You’re a good editor with a promising future in the business. Why would you want to throw it all away to try to be a writer? I read your book. Frankly, it’s not really that good.” Michener’s first book, Tales of the South Pacific, later won a Pulitzer Prize and was adapted for stage and screen as South Pacific.

10. There’s no market for it. When hearing his plans to launch Perrier in the United States, several consulting firms advised Gustave Leven: “You’re foolish to try to sell sparkling water in the land of Coca-Cola drinkers.”

The only opinion about your dream that really counts is yours. The negative comments of others merely reflect their limitations — not yours. There is nothing unrealistic about a dream that aligns with your purpose, ignites your passion, and inspires you to plan and persevere until you attain it. On the contrary, it’s unrealistic to expect a person with such drive and commitment not to succeed.

Choose to be unstoppable!
Cynthia Kersey