I love language and words. Unfortunately, language is squishy and words are cheap.   As such, words and phrases tend to become cliches way more than they become proverbs.  Such is the case in business.  A few weeks ago, I tackled the term “Leadership”.  Today, I’m going to take a stab at scrubbing the bullcrap off two common terms …

Energy & Enthusiasm

Energy and enthusiasm are the natural by-products of great ideas.  It is that jolt of energy and clarity; where we blurt out “What a great idea!”   Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Kryzewski includes enthusiasm as the top traits of an effective team (along with communication, trust, and pride).  In an organization, ideas can’t just come from a CEO or senior executive.  The creation of ideas—and the energy that comes with them—should permeate (and come from) an entire culture.   The lack of energy and enthusiasm (and ideas) are signs that something is wrong.  Keep in mind that various personalities will manifest enthusiasm differently.   However, beware of “cheerleaders” – saying you have enthusiasm is a lot easier than actually having it.  Instead, look for behavior, language, and outcomes.   Above all, you can FEEL energy.  When a team has energy, it is palpable.

Externally, energy and enthusiasm are the by-products of customer delight.  You can buy short-term delight with a discount or deal (the Groupon model?).   Or you can generate genuine enthusiasm by providing your audience something truly unique and different.   When this kind of energy comes out of your customer base, it fuels buzz, provides a R & D lab for product improvements, and it becomes a recruiting hot-bed for new customers and employees. Just like with internal cultures, if your brand isn’t generating enthusiasm and energy, something is wrong.

So how do you create a brand driven by enthusiasm and energy? Here is a mini-benchmarking list:

• Shared values amongst the internal and external audience
• Visionary leadership from the CEO and executive team
• Strategic clarity—everyone knows what you are doing and why you are doing it
• Ability to get things done—converting energy into actionable steps
• Pure engagement—everyone is connected to the brand by love, not a pay check or coupon
• Organic social media footprint—“followers” are a brand’s manifestation of enthusiasm
• Domination—You are the leader in your field, pure and simple

I strongly believe that generating energy and enthusiasm via the creation of great ideas is an actual business model.  Organizations that think and behave this way spend far less on “people” related costs: advertising, training, support, etc.  You’d think this would mean more organizations would operate this way.  But they don’t—probably because it is easier for companies to just buy fake enthusiasm from their internal and external audiences.  But doing business with enthusiasm is a lot more fun, more sustainable, and ultimately more profitable.