Have you ever wondered why some people are passionate about the jobs they are doing, whilst others feel ‘trapped’ in what they do? This question would have crossed your mind many times over. But how can you avoid being ‘trapped’ in your job, or why does this happen?

Through trial and error, experiences, feedback, and self reflection, CEOs and business leaders figure out (1) what they love and enjoy doing the most, (2) what are they really good at, and (3) what kind of life/career choices best leverage this capability and provides them an opportunity to do what they want to pursue. When you find immense joy, passion and unbounded energy in what you do, you can be sure that you have reached an alignment of sorts between these three.

This change management within you causes a seamless flow of energy between you and the environment. This requires immense leadership in leading self. This is the resonance caused by:

1. Skill – Doing it better by leveraging your inner strength
2. Thrill – Doing what you love thereby giving you limitless energy
3. Drill– Doing it in an environment that aligns both skill and thrill seamlessly
   
   

Bill Gates dropped out of high school only to become the richest man on globe. He has arguably shaped the future look and feel of this planet more than anyone else, through the IT revolution that his company unleashed. This he did by aligning his skill, thrill and drill.

With changing situations, one should realign the elements of skill, thrill and drill. One obvious question is “How do I know when I am  in that state”? I have attempted to explain this concept with my own journey. Till I got into professional life, I did not have the precise words to describe my ‘strengths’ and ‘improvement needs’. I was good in understanding numbers and had the innate ability to overcome any obstacle, and to never give up. Another strength I discovered was my ability to build teams. I was able to set a direction, rally the team around that direction and inspire them to deliver. My skill is change management -- Team building, facilitation, coaching and communication are the key elements of my core capability. When this skill aligns with the agenda of transformation – thrill--  it becomes passion. My drill is a job role that allows me to lead change management and set new benchmarks to create impact.

Introspecting will help you in finding your magical lantern. Break free from your past knowledge/information and tell yourself ‘let me find a new way’. Listen carefully to the context, the challenge and the people who work around it. And set out to discover the way. Surely you are on the journey to leadership.

I attempt to listen and not judge. When I listen, I find people who want to share. And when they share, they get bound by what they share, and then they own it and deliver the solution. It gets me to people, it gets me to teams, and that is where the magic lies. Give it a try, and discover yours!

*Views expressed here are personal.