Is 'the only way to do great work, to love what you do'? Steve Jobs thought so, and he was worth $250 million by the time he was 25, just over two decades following the launch of Apple, with his friend Ronald Wayne, out of Job's parents' garage. Finding passion in our careers and applying ourselves to grow professionally is essential. As seen in a study by Deloitte University Press, "Passion at Work: Cultivating worker passion as a cornerstone of talent development," passionate workers outperform non-passionate peers. The study outlines seven worker archetypes and the virtues of passionate vs. non-passionate workers.
"Passionate workers," sometimes also referred to as "Explorers," exhibit three consistent characteristics
- questing,
- connecting, and,
- commitment to domain.
'Questing' means:
- the drive to go beyond core responsibilities.
- constantly probing
- consistently testing,
- pushing boundaries,
- seeking out new opportunities,
- learning new skills,
- resourceful,
- imaginative,
- Non-complacency - always seeking out the next level of achievement.
'Connecting' means:
- seeking out others to help find solutions to challenges they are facing,
- searching for deep interactions with others in related domains to attain insights they can bring back to enhance their approach and improve their value (vs. 'networking),
- building connections not for the sake of a larger network but to bridge deeper meaning in their careers and expand their capabilities.
'Commitment to domain' means:
- the desire to have a lasting impact,
- the intention to commit to building and expanding on long-term impact through consistency,
- constantly seeking out lessons and new practices from other domains to influence and innovate their domain.
According to the study, all workers can be siloed into one of the seven archetypes, but to be a truly 'passionate worker,' sometimes referred to as 'The Explorer,' you need to embody all three of the above characteristics - all the time.
How do you embody passion in your career? Find your archetype below:
- The Performer: Committed, connecting
- The Mad Scientist: Committed, questioning
- The Player: Questing
- The Learner: Questing, connecting
- The Loyalist: Committed
- The Connector: Connecting
- The Passionate Worker/Explorer: Questing, connected, committed
- No Elements of Passion (none of the above)
Passionate workers make the most dramatic impact and drive transformation within any organization, and Deloitte's study found that businesses need to get better at recognizing them.
However you pursue your career, remember this: "A great leader's courage to fulfill his/a vision comes from passion, not position." - John C. Maxwell