Recently, I read with joy this article about how one surgeon’s passion created so much joy. It reminded me of the sheer joy that comes from feeling passionately connected to your work and finding meaningful ways to express that passion. And that passion has the ripple effect of igniting others, along with improving both performance and workplace culture!

Passionate individuals can’t help but push their limits, striving for excellence in every task they undertake. So what should leaders do to make sure this passion and positivity are encouraged in the workplace? When leaders prioritize creating an environment that fosters passion, they remove layers of bureaucracy and ensure that employees are not burdened by excessive rules.

Passion isn’t a one-way street, though. It’s a symbiotic relationship between individuals and their work environment. When leaders value and nurture passion, it becomes contagious. Colleagues feed off each other’s enthusiasm, inspiring a collective desire to achieve greatness. The performance bar is raised, and everyone benefits from the positive domino effect.

When you are passionate about your work, you create a contagious energy that leaves a lasting impact on those around you. Likewise, it’s important to surround yourself with a supportive workplace culture that encourages and nourishes that passion. Perhaps you aren’t in a position to make art on children’s casts like the surgeon in the article, but what can you do to spread your passion at work? I am currently working on a program called “Leaving a Legacy,” which encourages participants to consider how they want to live both their work and personal lives.