Profits, Passion, and Purpose -- Delivering Happiness By Tony Hsieh

Recently, I saw an advertisement for a book, Delivering Happiness, that has not been put in stores yet. It is the story of the CEO of Zappos shoes Tony Hsieh (pronounced Shay) and I have only just begun the journey through his tale of dedication to his business. It is a great premise and it reminds me of how I started in business.

When I was younger, I thought I would never go to the military -- my goal was to be a doctor (which a couple of years at a state college and organic chemistry showed me was not my calling) -- but I went anyway. It was a thought process that went something like, "Well the worst case scenario is that I serve my time and have four years of medical experience under my belt as an Army Medic. That thinking turned into, "Well now let me apply to West Point because the worst case scenario if I get accepted is that I will have a great education and a steady job to support my family." And after my time in the Army was served, I realized something about myself that I wouldn't have realized without it. I had a passion for Leadership!

I have always wondered how some leaders become great, but I never expected to be on a journey towards Leadership myself. I had never really seen the benefit of trying to influence others to do things that are right. I had grown up my whole life following others' thought processes and trying to see which one fit mine closely enough. I realized -- after going through the Army -- that working hard and delivering on promises were Leadership principles. They were very basic principles that most people in the US were not taught anymore, but my family had armed me with since childhood.

In the Army, and now in the civilian work place, I see a lot of the "How Can I Get By" mentality, and it is horrible because US business was not built on and cannot survive on those principles. Heck, the whole country was not built on those principles and I am sure that we will be doomed if we try to live according to those principles now.

Leadership has become the most important skill to the people of the world today. And we should be trying to cultivate that skill in our youth and in every one of us. Developing this skill in ouselves is my initial idea of combining passion and purpose and, in turn, delivering profits (monetary and more), but I will send another blog as I finish the book, Delivering Happiness, and I will let you know the Leadership nuggets I fiind within the pages.