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disbelief, because the odds are against you. Logic is going to stop you.’ Passion, on
[8]
the other hand, will help you fly.”
Passion About the Vision
Passion doesn’t just have benefits for the individual entrepreneur or manager

when formulating a vision statement, it can help the whole business thrive. While
there is little academic research on the relationship between passion and vision,
studies suggest that fostering engagement, a concept related to passion, in employees
has a significant effect on the corporate bottom line. Gallup, for instance, has been on
the forefront of measuring the effect of what it calls employee
engagement. Employee engagement is a concept that is generally viewed as
managing discretionary effort; that is, when employees have choices, they will act in
a way that furthers their organization’s interests. An engaged employee is fully
involved in, and enthusiastic about, his or her work. The consulting firm
[9]
BlessingWhite offers this description of engagement and its value (and clear
relationship with passion):
“Engaged employees are not just committed. They are not just passionate or
proud. They have a line-of-sight on their own future and on the organization’s
mission and goals. They are ‘enthused’ and ‘in gear’ using their talents and
discretionary effort to make a difference in their employer’s quest for sustainable
business success.” (Employee Engagement Report 2008) [10]
Engaged employees are those who are performing at the top of their abilities
and happy about it. According to statistics that Gallup has drawn from 300,000
companies in its database, 75%–80% of employees are either “disengaged” or
“actively disengaged.” [11]
That’s an enormous waste of potential. Consider Gallup’s estimation of the
impact if 100% of an organization’s employees were fully engaged:
• Customers would be 70% more loyal.
• Turnover would drop by 70%.
• Profits would jump by 40%.
Job satisfaction studies in the United States routinely show job satisfaction
ratings of 50%–60%. But one recent study by Harris Interactive of nearly 8,000
American workers went a step further. [12] What did the researchers find?
• Only 20% feel very passionate about their jobs.
• Less than 15% agree that they feel strongly energized by their work.
• Only 31% (strongly or moderately) believe that their employer inspires
the best in them.
Consciously creating an environment where passion is both encouraged and
actively developed can yield an enormous competitive advantage. That environment
starts at the top through the development and active communication of mission and
vision.
KEY TAKEAWAY
You learned about the relationship between creativity and passion and
mission and vision. You learned that creativity relates to the power or ability to
create and that passion is intense emotion compelling action. Creativity is
important if the desired mission and vision are desired to be novel and

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