Passion

tech/a · 29 April 2006

After a number of gruelling days at the Adelaide Uni, taking Advanced Business Management The lecturer on Business Construction,Max Zornada an outside consultant with Henley,finished the sessions with.

"Thanks for allowing me to share my passion with you".

Had me thinking about people who seem to equate passion with EGO.

Those who share openly here are more about passion (well I certainly am) EGO is an outside perception.

Passion in ANY field is rare.
If I can find it in a person I want to know where that passion has sprung from.
What I find is that its from UNDERSTANDING,the ability to remove the smoke and fuzzyness of COMPLEXITY.

Passion enters when we go beyond understanding and look at improvement that takes us past rudimentary knowledge to the next level of creative expansion upon our understandings.

I see it with my son Kris,who is working as part of his doctorate on improvements to laser and fibre optics.He is beyond the point of understanding and his PASSION is developement.
Many he bores to death--myself included---I dont have even a basic understanding,other which he searches out and are like minded he relishes the interaction.

Forums like this attract passion in an arena which hopefully contributes to understanding and beyond.

nizar · 29 April 2006

Re: Passion.

Re: passion

Reminds me of a book i read by Howard Schultz, and how he built the starBucks empire...

What drew the investors initially was not his idea, but his passion, he had so passion and belief in himself that he could make it happen, so much that they felt they were investing in HIM, not his idea...

Great story actually, did really well...

During the 1st few years, because he felt the company had to invest alot of money to keep ahead of the growth curve, and they were making serious losses, and still he asked for more money, begging investors with sentences beginning with: "But when we have 300 stores, we're gonna need a bigger roasting plant...." and they were like: "We only have TWO stores", then he said: "How can u build a skycraper on the foundation of a 2-storey house"...

And then when he was touring other US cities (apart from seatle, where he started), he told one of his partners: "I can see all these people drinking from starbucks cups" They thought he was crazy, but he wasnt, he was a visionary...

Just thought id share that..

RichKid · 29 April 2006

Re: Passion.

Interesting topic tech.

You are lucky to have a lecturer like that, some only teach to get the pay and their real passion maybe their pet research project or the thought of kudos on promotion to a professorship. I bet he'll get a hell of a lot more respect than a guru who isn't as passionate. Looks like you're somewhat passionate about what you're studying too or you wouldn't be able to fit it all in!

Just to try and flesh out the issues: can we think of passion as zeal? or as that unshakeable faith in one's goal and it's importance?

Obviously the focus then is not on one's self or ego but on what one is trying to achieve. Where that achievement is purely to promote one's sense of self we may be able to say it is not as worthy a cause for it relates to ego alone; but in the examples you have shown it is clearly a vision or an idea which one strives for with inspirational and sometimes 'superhuman' effort.

There's also a difference imo between passion and addiction, but I bet that's a fine line at times. I'd guess that psychologists, sociologists and philosophers would have studied this specifically. I bet each would have a different take on it but the commone elements would be very useful. I might do some research on it. I think 'obsession' is another term which may be useful in this regard, provided we don't get trapped in semantics. We may all be describing the same thing using different names- the troublesome alternate views of the cathedral.

Nizar, that's an inspiring story but like so many business stories, how many fail that we never hear of? Might even be people with more passion than Schultz? But I'd say that it is one of those elements that would give you an edge over the competition, even if people fail in one venture the passion can drive them to success in the next.

Bobby · 29 April 2006

Re: Passion.

RichKid said:
Interesting topic tech.

You are lucky to have a lecturer like that, some only teach to get the pay and their real passion maybe their pet research project or the thought of kudos on promotion to a professorship. I bet he'll get a hell of a lot more respect than a guru who isn't as passionate. Looks like you're somewhat passionate about what you're studying too or you wouldn't be able to fit it all in!

Just to try and flesh out the issues: can we think of passion as zeal? or as that unshakeable faith in one's goal and it's importance?

Obviously the focus then is not on one's self or ego but on what one is trying to achieve. Where that achievement is purely to promote one's sense of self we may be able to say it is not as worthy a cause for it relates to ego alone; but in the examples you have shown it is clearly a vision or an idea which one strives for with inspirational and sometimes 'superhuman' effort.

There's also a difference imo between passion and addiction, but I bet that's a fine line at times. I'd guess that psychologists, sociologists and philosophers would have studied this specifically. I bet each would have a different take on it but the commone elements would be very useful. I might do some research on it. I think 'obsession' is another term which may be useful in this regard, provided we don't get trapped in semantics. We may all be describing the same thing using different names- the troublesome alternate views of the cathedral.

Nizar, that's an inspiring story but like so many business stories, how many fail that we never hear of? Might even be people with more passion than Schultz? But I'd say that it is one of those elements that would give you an edge over the competition, even if people fail in one venture the passion can drive them to success in the next.

Greetings Rich-,

Wow there was some profound stuff in that post.
Impressed me mate

Regards Bob.

Julia · 29 April 2006

Re: Passion.

Tech,

That was one hell of a post from you - thank you - and the responses so far do it justice also. Rich, I agree with Bobby's comments re your post.
I'm particularly interested in that fine line between passion and obsession, one with such positive connotations and the other so negative.

Just looking at the dictionary definition, it includes "enthusiasm" (surely too pale a word?) which aligns to the positive response, and "zeal" which I personally would ascribe to the more extremist and therefore negative interpretations of passion.

So easy to get bogged down in semantics, but words are wonderful in the way they can convey such shades of meaning.

For me, I value passion as being the antidote to passivity, mediocrity and blandness. It is what gives our collective existence colour and our individual lives purpose.

Tech, you have experienced that relatively rare creature: a teacher with passion. Because of him you will have had an experience far superior and learned far more than you would have with the average teacher/lecturer.

What was the name of that marvellous film with Robin Williams as a teacher at a boys' school? He had that passion we are talking about.

I do some adult literacy tutoring. The woman who runs the programme has this passion. She believes absolutely in the capacity of every single one of her students, however disadvantaged, to improve their language skills and therefore to feel better about themselves. Her belief in them, and in us, her tutors, is inspiring and she has brought about some incredible achievements where others have given up.

This is a great topic. I'm really interested in how others see passion and how it relates to their own lives.

Julia

GreatPig · 29 April 2006

Re: Passion.

Julia said:
What was the name of that marvellous film with Robin Williams as a teacher at a boys' school?

Dead Poets Society?

GP

wayneL · 30 April 2006

Re: Passion.

GreatPig said:
Dead Poets Society?

GP

.....and what a marvelous film that was. RW was brilliant.

One of my favourites

tech/a · 30 April 2006

Re: Passion.

I'm particularly interested in that fine line between passion and obsession, one with such positive connotations and the other so negative.

Could obsession be defined as an inability to consider alternate views on the same topic? Or perhaps "personal exclusive ownership" of an idea/theory or veiw.
Fanaticisim maybe viewed perhaps as group exclusive Ownership??

As for lecturers all in my course are private consultants. All have had that same passion.The course is not cheap for the 6 modules,$5500.
Total students in my intake are 30 and there are 6 intakes.
Some participants fly in for each module from Sydney and Melbourne.

Difference may be that these people are leaders in their field who practically deploy their skills in the place of "Real" business.

Strw23 · 30 April 2006

Re: Passion.

Tech
If you dont mind me asking why are you doing this course? Is this just for personal gain, more knowledge, promotion at work? Do you trade full time, run your own company or work for somebody else? I hope these arent to personal and Im not being to nosey, just curious thats all. If you dont want to answer these questions I understand.

Scott

tech/a · 30 April 2006

Re: Passion.

Strw23

Im doing a degree in Advanced Business Management.
I've had my own Company for over 30 yrs.(Im unfortunately 52 but hell Im having fun!!)
Over the last 10yrs growth has been exponential.When I first started in business $300k was a fantastic turnover with a 10% nett Profit.
Today at over 4 Million and 10% is not satisfactory,its been a Tiger by the tail. Structuring a company its clients and staff through growth is to me atleast very difficult,and I wasnt very good at quantifying,and implementing growth stratagies---correctly and efficiently.

You have 3 choices.

(1) Gain the knowledge
(2) Employ people with the knowledge
(3) Do both.

Ive chosen BOTH.

I once had the attitude of "What can a bunch of academics teach someone who has been in Business 30 yrs???"
Answer I found IS HEAPS and HEAPS and then SOME.Particularly from the quality of private practice professionals taking this degree.

I dont trade fulltime.

Dont wish to.

Trading is part of my investment programme as is Property (My company is Civil Construction specialising in Earth Retention) and property developement.I could support myself from earnings--.
I dont trade with anywhere near what I hold in Property---wish I had--.
Allocation of more investment funds to this area has occured reciently (Looks like a looming Bear Market now that Ive done that!!--Joking).

Strw23 · 30 April 2006

Tech, Thanks for the reply and interesting reading. Good luck with both your course and your business.

Scott

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