It’s that time of year again! As you move forward toward the New Year, I encourage you to consider a few characteristics Eric Barber, president and CEO of Mary Lanning Healthcare, deems necessary for achieving success in his organization. In an interview conducted for America’s Healthcare Leaders, Barber listed these two critical characteristics that he expects his people and teams to display if they desire greater success within his organization:
- Passion
- Self-Motivation
While this is obviously not an inexhaustible list of necessary characteristics for achieving success, I believe both of these traits play an important part in your life.
Passion
While passion isn’t absolutely necessary to do a good job—notice that I did not say great job—and succeed where you are, I believe passion makes things a lot easier! When you do what you are passionate about, your heart is truly in the task at hand.
Al Cornish, chief learning officer at Norton Healthcare, told me, “I love what I do every single day. I don’t even feel like I work because I enjoy my job so much!”
This is the difference passion makes in the day-to-day activities. Passion for your work lessens or nearly eliminates any drudgery. Rather, it excites and exhilarates.
Self-Motivation
Self-motivation is critical to success. While motivation will come from outside sources as well, one must have self-motivation, or what I believe is inspiration—a desire to do better.
In the AHL interview, Eric Barber zeroed in on “Self-Motivation” as the top characteristic needed for promotion within his organization, concluding:
“If they are self motivated and they are passionate about what we are doing, then I can empower them and give them some guidance that doesn’t have to be too strict, because they share a common goal and common vision with the organization.”
As you look forward, consider these two characteristics. Do you have a passion for what you are doing? Does this passion and desire propel you and inspire you to achieve greater success? Be honest, and consider what changes you can make to ensure this coming year is one of your very best!
