Here is What is

This is the title of the latest album (and film) by Daniel Lanois. Its theme is about believing in yourself. Marketers and communicators can use some of that. Read these words with care - "if you do passionate work, it keeps chasing your around," is something he said at an interview at South by South West this year.

It has been true for me. The more interesting the work, the more energy and passion I feel for joining projects that will give me greater opportunities to stretch.

Lanois is the magic behind some of the greatest successes achieved by the likes of U2, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, and Bob Dylan, among others. He draws special qualities out of others. Yet when I talk about him, few know his work. That's because by and large he has been in the background, producing original and captivating sounds and making the brilliance of the musicians and singers shine.

Great marketers and communicators do that, too. When the businesses that use our work connect with customers, form profitable alliances and sail into a desired exit strategy, we know we did good work. We produce mostly intangibles - the prompting for a handshake, the act of reading a label off a product you bought that brings a smile (Like a fine pair of jeans, iPod nano colors may vary and change over time. Apple). Most importantly, the reason for our customers to feel good about themselves and their purchases.

Lanois has had a life-long love affair with music, you can tell by listening to him. He's no stranger to the stage. I saw him again recently at the Jazz festival in Montreal and he was engaging and authentic to the point you felt like you were the only person he was having a conversation with. He founded Red Floor Records with a small team to be able to deliver the experience of his music directly to his fans. Even as he shed clothing to get the audience to sponsor a child with Vision Mondiale, he kept his tempo and the amazing energy that sets him apart as a musician.

Are you absolutely and passionately in love with your work? I am. My goal is greater that becoming as engaging and effortless to read and be with as he is. It takes a life time of practice to do that. My goal is to inspire you - marketers and communicators and business people the world over - to choose the road less traveled, and make the world a better place by doing so. Go the extra step, think a little harder, dig a little deeper - choose yourself over being a copy of someone else.

Go on and believe in yourself. Be as open, passionate and enthusiastic about what you work on as you'd like your customers to be - it's infectious. As Lanois says in one of his songs, there are "two ways of looking. It's just as easy to be kind."

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P.S. There will be no shedding of clothing, in case you were wondering.

Comments

[Mark David Gerson]

Great post! The only thing I would add is that sometimes our passions surprise us. Sometimes we discover passions we didn't know we had, passions we've run from, passions that have lay hidden in some recess of our being, waiting to be noticed.

For example, I spent many years being way too scared of my own creative ability to recognize how passionate I was about creating. Now I'm the author of two books, one of which has won four awards.

The lesson? Sometimes our fears conceal our places of greatest strength, power...and passion!

- Mark David
http://markdavidgerson.com

[Paula Thornton]

Passion is our 'energy' in the complexity model. It is the 'lever' we can use to tap our true potential.

Oddly, while I didn't mention passion, that too is at the heart of the response I just posted to another blog piece: http://www.truetalkblog.com/truetalk/2008/07/the-past-and-th.html?cid=121651740#comment-121651740

Passion is too 'yin' for our current 'out of balance' business models. It takes a lot of personal commitment to capitalize on our passions because we are too often 'beat down' for honoring our true passions.

Those of us who are strong...need to pave the way for others and help break down the barriers that thwart the natural release of individual passion.

[Karen Swim]

Passion is such a powerful motivator for action. It is so vital to a life that is maximized with joy. We must also take care to beware of those things that kill passion such as talents not used, lack of a clear purpose and a life/schedule that is out of balance.

[KatFrench]

There seem to be a lot of posts floating around today about maintaining passion and joy in your work; or alternatively, avoiding burnout.

I know that moreso than the desire to copy someone else, for me, fear and guilt about getting to do what I love when so many people I care about don't, have been the major passion-killers in my work.

But you're absolutely right; what's the Marian Williamson/Nelson Mandela quote? "Your playing small does not serve the world...As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Mark - what I'm reading is that our passion scares us a little. It does, doesn't it? Life is a process of discovering who we are and loving what we find.

@Paula - what you express in that comment is that personal insecurities and attachment to ideas of self-worth based on volume and "new" or even "improved" have people reject the "not invented here." That was a mouthful! I also liked Mark's build upon your ideas. I am sighing as my destiny has always been that to be strong, ahead of the times, by and large discounted and misunderstood in most environments. To counter that, I've learned to operate on the job so that I can help those around me. What happens to me can't be helped.

@Karen - lack of clarity is a real problem. From there we have lack of focus, and misalignment. I'd add to stay clear of situations and people that are energy vampires.

@Kat - "Your playing small does not serve the world" what a great reminder. Thank you! I also like to reread Mother Theresa - "Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth, give the world the best you've got anyway."

[Mark Goren]

So glad you were able to see one of Montreal's finest talents while you where here in Montreal, Valeria. Even happier that you found inspiration in his music and passion - there's so much of it here in my hometown.

Montreal really is a passionate city that rallies behind its hometown heroes, teams and leaders. In fact, there is also a vibrant and growing group of social media and marketing leaders here as well. People that ooze passion for what they do and how they go about doing it.

It's only natural that you found a little of that here!

[Valeria Maltoni]

I do like a city that stands by its people. It was amazing to me to find out that so many of the people I read write from Montreal.

Philadelphia is still finding its way, I think. In all the time I've lived here, the city has not embraced any one thing. The fans come and go depending on the teams' wins, the people do, too.