In Revisionist History Episode 9 Malcolm Gladwell is reminiscing about the carefree days of eating McDonald’s French fries fried in beef tallow before McDonald caved to public pressure in 1990 and changed its original French fry recipe.
Sadly, since I grew up eating Kosher I couldn’t relate to Gladwell’s deep yearning and hunger for McDonald’s French fries. However, I am a sucker for a good David and Goliath story, the little guy taking on the giant corporation for the greater good. If you are, too, check out Gladwell’s book “David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants.” But back to Revisionist History! Gladwell describes Phil Sokolof, who waged a one-man battle against fast food chains for two-decades, as an evangelist. This episode made me reflect on and consider my own definition of the modern day evangelist in today’s workplace.
If my memory serves me correctly, the word “evangelist” started appearing in workplace lingo about a decade ago along with specialized job titles such as “Corporate Strategist”, “Futurist”, “Brand Ambassadors”, and of course all the “Ninjas” and “Wizards.” Corporate jargon highlights what is important and valued, and these words indicate that employers value certain personality traits and qualities in addition to experience and skills. I remember how puzzled I was at first when the word “evangelist” started seeping into corporate speech as a description for people advocating technology or a brand. Yes, partly because of the word’s religious connotation of a missionary preacher of the gospel seeking to convert others and expose God’s love to the un-enlightened. But also because I was suffering a bit of a role conflict always trying to use politically correct terms in handling religion, and other sensitive issues, in the workplace. But it did make me pause and try to figure out the modern day workplace fascination (even obsession) with business evangelists.
I believe that at the core, this trend is deeply rooted in the collective newly awakened interest in meaningful careers that connect passion, purpose and function. An evangelist exudes passion, enthusiasm and energy. These qualities are thought of as the dividing line between the good and the great. Positivity and high energy are attractive traits which are critical leadership skills. Leaders must fuel others with positive emotions to inspire them and move them to rally around a common vision and goals. A high energy person is like a source of light drawing people to connect and follow her. An evangelist promotes the brand or the product. It is an important role in that it is all about building a community of people who are passionate about the company’s offerings. Employers are now looking to all employees to be evangelists spreading the brand message.
In other words, do you want greater career success? Offer more than just a skillset. Become a business evangelist. Offer others the gift of passion, energy & enthusiasm. Here is a list of my top 3 characteristics of a business evangelist every working professional need to strive to possess:
1. Have a strong sense of purpose
“Working hard with purpose is what separates the good from the great.” ~Thad Matta
Evangelists have clarity of purpose which helps sustain their commitment and efforts toward particular causes and goals. Having a purpose means knowing what you are going after, what you seek to achieve and why. Part of the power of evangelists is in knowing their true north, and their conviction is the story they tell. Compelling stories have the power to make people believe in the message and move them to action.
2. Be a self-starter
“Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
Evangelists are self-reliant. They don’t expect anything to be handed to them on a silver platter. They take responsibility and accept accountability for their own actions. Don’t expect others to do things for you, at least not the things you haven’t made the effort to do for yourself. The magnitude of your success will be directly proportional to your choices, your actions, and the effort you exert.
3. Seize opportunities
“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” ~Sun Tzu
Don’t just wait for a big break or the extraordinary opportunity to presnt, take every opportunity to make things better. It is where we focus our attention that our energy is directed to create the things we want without being distracted by things that do not promote our goals. This is not a “9-5” mindset but rather a sunrise to sunset mentality to keep working relentlessly for our goals. It reminds me of an old mentor who used to have this sign on her desk:
“Dear Optimist, Pessimist, and Realist,
While you guys were busy arguing about the glass of water, I drank it.”
Sincerely, The Opportunist”
But with the obvious advantage of being purpose-driven and having an extra gear, perhaps the most important lesson of episode 9 is Gladwell’s parting words that without room for pleasure the world can be a pretty bleak place. As we get busy building a life and finding a purpose greater than us, we need to remember to embrace joy and fun, the simple pleasures that help us to truly enjoy life.
