Passion or Reflection

Minimising stress

I don't tend to get too hot and bothered about many things.

There's enough stress in my personal and business life without adding to it by my everyday outlook. In fact I probably waste a load of time with my various self-taught anti-stress techniques. I'm the one who takes the "2 hours before check-in" advice seriously; the one sauntering into the City slowly in an electric car; and the one who upsets the office by insisting on Radio 3 before 10:00am.

My worry is that a stress-free life might mean a less passionate one as well. I mean you need a few things to be angry and upset and worried about to make life really worth living. If you lose the anger do you lose the passion as well?

And there's another dimension

Passionate people might be a generally angry bunch but it's quite attractive as well. I watched 5 minutes with Giles Coren (the notoriously sensitive Times journalist). Mesmerizing. You can feel the frustration and passion bubbling away beneath the surface. He literally oozes tension. In a similar vein I've been following the antics of Mike Buchanan, the zealous but slightly loopy author of the infamous anti-feminism blog. There's something endearing about his conviction at least.

In the same way, I have a kind of grudging respect for Harriet Harman. Awful woman, dreadful values but absolutely passionate about the feminist agenda. It can sometimes take people like that to make change happen.

That brings me to my point

At different times, businesses need different leaders. Embryonic, growing, fast changing businesses need the passion. Established ones with a clear vision and path need more reflective ones. My Family Care has moved from the former to the latter in the last couple of years so I'm trying to do the same.

Have I succeeded? I'll know the answer soon enough - our staff survey is out soon. As with most things we do it's transparent and honest without hiding places. I await the results nervously...

Ben Black