18
Wise Choices for Business
Carol’s Five Why’s
Five Reasons Why Discipline Is
My Greatest Passion
By Carol Spieckerman | newmarketbuilders, Bentonville
worked
“Discipline is doing what
with an
you hate to do but doing
executive who liked playing golf so
much that he only nurtured relation-
it like you love it.”
ships with employees and clients
– Mike Tyson
who also liked to hit the links. He
developed a morale-killing reputa-
tion for favoritism, jeopardized his
I agree with Mr. Tyson. company’s viability with prospects
As a retail consultant and mentor
who couldn’t care less about golf,
to executives across many indus-
and alienated clients that had poli-
tries, I often work with businesses
cies against extracurricular activi-
facing big, messy problems — chal -
ties with customers. After creating a
lenges that defy definition and
discipline that based relationships
change constantly. In my ten years
on business and leadership oppor-
of process and organizational onion-
tunities rather than self-interest, he
peeling, lack of passion has never
would email me to share an inter-
been a root cause of such challeng-
esting tidbit about someone – “Did
es; lack of discipline, on the other
you know that Sara races motor-
hand, has been consistent in both
cycles?” or “Steve plays guitar in a
the not-for-profit and private sector!
rock band!” His new-found discipline
opened up opportunities that his
Remember, passion doesn’t
singular passion had kept closed.
always equal expertise, and you can
possess expertise in something that
2. Passion can prolong prob-
is not your passion. In a complex
lems – Many entrepreneurs have
and demanding business environ-
stayed with ventures, concepts,
ment, the ability to push beyond
marketing campaigns, product
your passions and into multiple
launches—even people—long after
disciplines will provide one of the
it was prudent because they were
greater sources for enhancing your
“passionate” about them. Disciplines
personal and professional value.
developed around goal-setting,
benchmarking and feedback solicita-
Here are five why's:
tion keep passion-driven excess in

check. This may mean cutting your
1. Passion and preference nar- losses, as it did with one Fortune
row your perspective – When you 500 client: They were passionate
confuse “like to do” with “need to about launching a new product line
do,” you often forfeit opportunities. I aimed at the teen market, yet when
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