You Need Passion for Success

Norman Marks, CRMA, CPA, was a chief audit executive and chief risk officer at major global corporations for more than 20 years. The views expressed in this blog are his personal views and may not represent those of The IIA.

 

Seven days ago, I retired. OK, it was more like semi-retired because here I still am blogging, preparing for a presentation tomorrow to the IIA–Russia annual conference, and mentoring/training a variety of practitioners.

Ever since I announced my plans to retire, people have been congratulating me and asking if I am excited.

Why? 

For at least the last couple of decades, I have been having fun. My life has been enriched by the many wonderful individuals with whom I have played the games of internal audit, risk management, and more.

Leaving those games, where our teams were generally on the winning side, is not exciting. Perhaps I will have as much fun in this new phase of my life - I certainly hope so! In fact, I hope to remain in the game, if only as a part time player.

I have had passion for the work I am my team, most of whom remain friends, have played at. I am convinced that my passion has contributed to my success.

But I see so many complain about so much. If they really feel that they are laboring at a job, how do they expect to succeed? If they get little satisfaction and enrichment, will they try their best? I doubt it.

Do you play or labor?

How about your team?

I welcome your comments.

Posted on Mar 12, 2013 by Norman Marks

Share This Article:    

  Comments (4) un-categorized
  1. Comment by: Beata   (3/13/13 04:44 PM)   

    Hi Norman,

    First, I would like to extend my best wishes for your retirement. I hope you can continue your posts. They are enlightening and thought provoking and I look forward to them. It would be hard for me to part with that.  

    Most of the time, my job feels like play. I enjoy being in action, challenging, re-engineering and influencing things. I try to learn something new, push a little harder or get outside my comfort zone regularly. It feels good. I agree that passion and desire to constantly challenge oneself contributes to success. There were times, however, when my job felt like labor without a doubt. Those times as I remember them mostly had to do with lack of commitment from others or simply complacency. 

    I am looking forward to meeting you at the GRC conference next week.

  1. Comment by: Greg Suddards   (3/14/13 04:21 AM)   

     Dear Norman

    Alll "jobs" have their drudge aspects but they also offer a lot of wonderful challenges and opportunities to add value both to one's employer and to society. Retirement by contrast is not what it is made out to be, unfortunately. It can be lonely and it too has boring components.

  1. Comment by: subbaraman   (3/27/13 02:46 PM)   

    sir,

    As human in professional form is a part to paly in the mother planet for a given time as product life cycle. Our 50% go in sleep,love,play,enterainment etc. The balance 50% where is the time for self risk appetite for career  or fall victim to risk aversion  as Gabbbage of mind had already filled with dos and donots of parents,neighbours,relatives, media etc etc. Now the billion dollar question to identify true yourself what you are,what basic characterstics you possess as deliverables to find personal accountability,transparency and honesty need transcendental personal brainstorming which hardly 2 % of the world do and choose passion as light from tunnel. earlier this enlightment comes Lord Jesus,Buddha,Zen,Mahatma Gandhi,Abrahim Linchon,Einstein,Newton,Aristotle,,Archamedies how the life would have been dofferent/life purpose/direction/inspiration comes early. yes the entire world would have been different as basic belief system live and let live comes.

    Risk appetite /utility for all for lively leads tom passions and nature resonance happens for destined growth.

     

    regards,

    Raman

    Director(Risk and project)

    Mark consultancy

  1. Comment by: kamlesh   (4/4/13 02:11 AM)   

    Retirement is an arrangement to move the players from one ground to another. Those who have passion, energy and will; they continue the game; some decide to rest while some have different priorities and preferences to act.

    I am too young to voice such philosophy. I wish your passion shall maintain this blog and your views + interaction thru web / conference etc as interesting as it has been.

    All best wishes on "Change over".

    kamlesh

Leave a Reply