Business IS Personal...
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I've never bought the premise that we "shouldn't take it personally, it's just business".
What it suggests is that we are detached from what we do. That we conduct our work devoid of any emotion. That, on any given day, we engage in our work dispassionately.
Yes, I know that actually is the case for many people. They do their work in a compartmentalized fashion, passively going through the motions of activity and delivery.
But why? What's the point in that?
If we are to spend the majority of our lives at work (wherever that is), why wouldn't we do it in manner that absorbs every fiber of our being, engaging us not only emotionally, mentally? Why wouldn't we commit ourselves to a cause, a mission, that is important to us, that builds on some personal value or principle we hold dear?
For many, it's because that exposes us, makes us vulnerable, demands us to show our true selves at the risk of public ridicule.
But which path fulfills us?
Business is personal.
It was personal when we bootstrapped the business, and every additional dollar I sold ensured I could house and feed my family.
It was personal when we grew and every account we gained or lost meant the livelihoods of everyone entrusted to me would prosper or suffer as a result.
It's personal now as we grow and develop the organization for future generations of both clients and employees.
Business is personal.
That's what ensures we change, grow, improve, believe.
Don't lose your passion. Don't become the cynic (there are far too many out there already). Don't lose your edge.
Business is personal.
