Zeal Appeal

The dictionary defines zeal as “eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something; fervor.” It’s synonyms include eagerness, enthusiasm, intensity, and passion. If you have ever sat among the bleacher seats at a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game you recognize a form of zeal that frequently infects anyone who follows a professional sports team. Zeal is also associated with causes, like the environment, where ardor for saving the planet can result in destructive and illegal activities, including torching luxury homes and world class resorts.  Zealots may become so fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious or political ideals that they resort to violence as a means of furthering their agenda.

In today’s workplace zeal seems strangely absent. It is rare to find a leader or employee whose passion shines bright as they flawlessly execute their appointed duties. When zeal does emerge it is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale and listless environment. I frequently notice evidence of zeal among persons who simply love what they do, regardless of status or station in life. The shoe shine man in an airport terminal who polishes souls and shoes everyday; the cab driver whose vehicle includes bottled water and a daily newspaper; the waitress who attentively replaces empty drink glasses or provides extra napkins without a reminder; the receptionist who cheerfully greets you by name because she remembers your voice.

It would be easy to make excuses for our lack of zeal. A crushing workload, limited resources, intense competition, political uncertainty, and rising costs can certainly dampen enthusiasm for even the most optimistic leader. So where does one turn to rekindle that inner fervor and sustain a passion for the work leaders must do?

I believe a zealous leader is clear about his or her own calling and willing to focus like a laser on whatever that purpose might be. For me it has been a desire to create inspirational leaders and to find organizations willing to invest in this approach. It hasn’t always been easy and I confess to growing weary at times but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to lower my expectations or compromise on what I know is right.

If leaders were more willing to identify their calling, and engage employees and customers in their singular vision, then we would have more companies like Apple. The zeal of their fans is on display each time they launch a new product or upgrade an existing one. Their ability to focus has created entirely new business segments, like cloud computing and music, from a company that used to make personal computers.

As these brief thoughts suggest, zeal can have positive and negative consequences. Knowing where a leader crosses the line is probably best left to experts smarter than me. But I do know that without zeal ones leadership will lack energy and enthusiasm, key ingredients needed to pursue your organization’s mission and vision. With that in mind, on a scale of one to ten, what’s your zeal appeal?