FAMILY & HOME
Lead Your
Career with
Enthusiasm
D
onn Sorensen, executive vice president of operations
for Mercy Health System, shares his Five Keys to
Create Success Through Compassion in his book,
“Big-Hearted Leadership.”
One of the topics he discusses is excitement for
getting up and going to work on a daily basis. It’s a feeling we all hope to
have. And leaders who have it tend to inspire their employees to feel the
same. In Chapter Four: Possess (and Pass on) Enduring Enthusiasm,
Sorensen discusses eagerness for the work you do and perhaps, the need
to examine career suitability if that feeling is not there. Following is an
excerpt from Chapter Four that might encourage a little examination of
your chosen line of work.
When are you enthusiastic about your job? When it makes you
happy and you feel capable of doing it well. When you feel – dare I
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say it – almost “god-like.” And here’s the thing: If you are going to be
successful, you have to feel that way about your job and the company or
organization you lead. And you have to be able to transfer that feeling
to those you lead.
Start with the One in the Mirror Remember the man in the mirror
that Michael Jackson famously sang about? To be more inclusive, I say
that you should start with “the one” in the mirror. As a leader, you’re
the very first person who has to possess enduring enthusiasm. You
will either infect people with your boredom and negativity or your
excitement and joy. Ask yourself some key questions to determine
whether or not you are an authentic example of enthusiasm.
1. Do you believe in the product or service your company or
organization offers?
2. Do you believe in the integrity of the company you serve?
3. Do you believe in the mission or vision of the company you serve?
4. Do you agree with the company’s core values and/or social values?
5. Do you possess the right disposition for leadership?
6. Are you in the right seat on the bus?
7. Are you generally energized by the work?
Read more on this topic in “Big-Hearted
Leadership,” available at amazon.com or
donnsorensen.com.