Vision without passion yields little in the working world — and vice-versa.
When discussing traits shared by successful businesses and entrepreneurs, two of the attributes most likely to come up are vision and passion. In its broadest sense, vision is your goal for what your business will look like in the future. That doesn’t necessarily just entail reaching a certain level of profitability. For many, this vision also includes achieving an impact for good on the world.
Passion, on the other hand, is your internal drive or motivation that got you into your role as an entrepreneur or leader in the first place. These two terms are closely related, and in fact, very often play off each other in the working world. By understanding how to align your passion and vision, you can lay the groundwork for more successful outcomes with your own business.
Defining the Relationship Between Passion and Vision
One excellent example of the relationship between passion and vision comes from Kristy Short, CMO of RootWorks. In an interview with American Express, she explains, “Without passion, there would be no entrepreneurs. But without a vision, there would be no passion. At the very core of the entrepreneurial spirit is the vision that drives you to produce the highest quality products and services. For my company, our vision is about helping to solve pain points for clients in a way that ultimately allows them to live the life they desire. […] Our team is always searching for new ways to support our vision, and we don’t deviate from it. Our vision is what drives our passion as entrepreneurs.”
In this example, the vision comes first. Short’s team had a clear vision for what they wanted to accomplish and what they wanted to help their clients achieve. By starting with that goal, it was easy for the team to derive passion as they identified solutions that would help them facilitate that greater good.
In other cases, of course, entrepreneurs start with their passions, and then turn them into a vision for something greater. Indeed, freedom and passion have been found to be the top motivations for many entrepreneurs to start their business in the first place.
An entrepreneur might start a business because of their passion for the film industry, and then use that to guide their company toward a greater vision of helping improve their niche as a whole. Or they could find a charitable angle that gives greater meaning to their work.
Regardless of which comes first, these two attributes then work together, serving to provide powerful motivation for the entire team. Passion often stems not just from interest in a given field, but in caring about what you do and being invested in your company’s mission and vision.
How Passion and Vision Can Evolve Over Time
As research from Deloitte reveals, passionate workers “drive extreme and sustained performance improvement,” while also having stronger resilience and a drive toward learning and personal growth. This can be a powerful boon for their employers — and a similar mindset can help entrepreneurs fine-tune their passion and vision over time.
An excellent example of this comes from Shyla Slavin, founder and CEO of V-Luxe, a company that provides products designed to help treat conditions like bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections in women.
As Slavin explained in a recent conversation, “When I was struggling to find a permanent cure for my own recurring BV, I kept telling myself that if I found a viable solution, I’d have to share it with other women. As I learned more about how widespread this issue was, my passion for helping other women increased over time. By the time I essentially cured myself and brought my products to market, my vision had expanded significantly. At first, my passion and vision were focused on myself. Then I wanted to help others within my sphere of influence, and finally, I decided to go beyond that. My initial vision was small at first, but has now grown tenfold as it continues to feed my passion of trying to help as many women as possible.”
In Slavin’s case, the scope of her vision and passion grew exponentially over time — which played a big role in turning her search for help into its own business. While some entrepreneurs see their vision expand in scope, others use their vision to remain true to their brand identity, even when they must undergo significant changes because of the market.
Brands like Amazon, IBM and Netflix have reinvented their service offerings over the years, while still maintaining their core identity, passion and vision. This focus has helped lead to sustained success, even when specific activities undergo necessary changes.
Turn Your Passion and Vision Into Something Meaningful
When they are aligned, your passion and vision for your business idea can be an incredibly powerful tool. Not only will these traits provide the motivation you need to keep going when times get tough, but you’ll also have a clear goal in sight that you can aim for.
You’ll be more engaged, resilient and better able to keep learning and improving along the way. Your passion and vision can strengthen each other, helping you maintain your focus on what matters most and keeping your enthusiasm and drive intact, no matter what the market might bring.
