Employees everywhere experience, from time to time, a tension between their passion and the job before them. We often seek work that fuels our passion or holds interest for us. But we have the most positive impact when we use our passion to fuel the work that needs to be done, rather than using the work to try to pursue our personal passions.

• What differentiates extraordinary, impactful contributors from peers who are equally smart and hardworking, but whose work seems to consistently have less influence is that they make a habit of working on what is important to their stakeholders. The author calls these individuals “impact players.”
• More of us should be thinking of passion as a verb — not a noun. While following a passion certainly seems honorable, and makes for compelling commencement speeches and motivational posters, when you are on a team, it can lead you off course.
• Think of the bigger picture. Consider your passions when choosing or renegotiating a career path. Follow your passion to find the right job. However, once in a role, be careful not to relentlessly pursue your own interests. Instead, figure out what is valued and needed inside the organization, and then work passionately to achieve it.