The possibility of regaining passion and a sense of purpose at work begins with that invitation.

Most of my colleagues working in the world of the Fortune 100 are convinced that the “effective perspective” of the work force is gone. Lack of an effective perspective means there's less trust and loyalty, and passion shows up in play rather than in work.

If there's a response from staff and leadership team members at all when called to change some program or process, it is “let's wait and see.” The team simply waits out the latest best thing or next great consultant rolling through to motivate, inspire and/or ramp up performance. From experiences like this, my colleagues also tell me how lucky I am to work with independent restaurant companies. In these independents, the impact of positive change can be felt. Transaction is fast, a whole cycle of business happens in a day and under one roof. At the same time, I'm not sure that a company's size is the real issue.

The Real Issues
If not size, then what is it that will break through the “let's wait and see game”?
Experience—not theory—has proven the need for five steps I call “The Big 5.” We've had pieces of The Big 5 in the offering plate over the last 25 years from theorists like Izach Adizes, George Bland, Peter Senge, Ken Blanchard and Jim Collins.

Most recently, a great book called “The Art of Possibility” was released by the Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. With all this writing, few leaders get their people—and therefore, companies—to really accomplish the task. What makes The Big 5 unique is that two of the steps get missed most often and it is these two that are core to the success. The concept is engaging: getting passion back in the work place and getting purpose—dare I say, excitement—and even loyalty back in the work place. Leaders are out there doing The Big 5, so each of us can, too.

Permission To Believe
In my experience, The Big 5 needs to start as an invitation. The possibility of regaining passion and a sense of purpose at work begins with that invitation. The first three major steps of The Big Five get you there. Every one of the writers listed above—including me—talks about them. These first steps include a definitive sense of purpose, values and vision.

Purpose is the deeper (or higher) sense of who we are and what we provide as a company through our products. In my context, values are action steps and tangible tools as concrete in use as the financial statement. Values are real and, along with purpose, are actively talked about on a daily basis. Both are real, not some passive list of statements that get dusty on a wall or file cabinet. Purpose and values guide the vision. The vision must be so strong, so big, that it creates a compelling pull into the future. Otherwise, the daily culture around us sucks us right back into old habits and lack of passion.

As potent as the first three steps, from my experience, are last two steps. What are these two magic elixirs building to The Big 5? Pam Murtaugh, founder of Pam Murtaugh Associates, has coined one. As a marketing and brand expert, Murtaugh talks about corporate America being in desperate need of the permission to believe.

Imagine what could happen when one has the fourth step—permission to believe. A brand experience explodes in magic connection to purpose, values and vision. We have permission to believe in the depth of our products and what they actually provide humans instead of consumers. We have permission to believe in ourselves and our team. We have permission to believe that our work actually makes a difference to people and to our company. We end up interacting with human beings instead of consumers, guests instead of customers. Client teams break through, beyond best practices and into a new realm, a new way of performing, on purpose. Permission to believe is core.

Permission to believe takes us to the last step in The Big 5. My experience screams that this last step is the most demanding and the most challenging. Step 5 is commitment to the commitment.

There must be a commitment to the commitment to learn, to shift performance while consciously keeping purpose in mind and using values in language and decision-making daily.

Commitment to the commitment is what supports our vision to pull and not have the culture of the organization—of old habits—suck us back into disbelief.

Real Life Examples
You may be tempted here to turn the page because all this sounds too touchy-feely. Please, take a second to imagine if we were talking about a pro sports team, or your own kid's little league team. The magic to a team's success is practice, support and more practice—all of which is permission to believe in a vision, being on purpose and having the values to practice and commitment to your kid's commitment.

When permission to believe integrates with the commitment to the commitment, energy shifts immediately. Intellect and passion light up ideas brighter than Vegas at night! There ends up being little use for sitting back to “wait and see.” So my offering to you is a question: “Are you giving yourself permission to believe?”

Set in Motion
Once you engage The Big 5, some interesting processes start happening. There begins to be a true north for individuals, their teams and the company. People make more positive choices from a perspective of personal necessity about whether to stay and play or leave. As values are defined, choice becomes even more evident.

When sense of real purpose and values is used like a budgeting model against a financial statement, less course correction is needed because we have a more defined picture of high performance. Actions at a personal level as well as the team level improve. Add to these first three steps the ongoing permission—and encouragement—to believe as well as clear, active, commitment to the commitment and your output, clarity and performance shift into the next gear. Performance and production spiral from something as simple as a shift in attitude and intention.

Resistance is Normal
Some employees will leave as The Big 5 are put in place. Remember, they leave by choice. The new folks that arrive in their place are excited to be supported with clearly defined goals and commitment to the commitment that has been shared with them as they enter.

As a corporate guide, my role is to support each player, the teams and the company to reach their goals. The leader and the team must believe. There is a commitment to the commitment of reaching the summit and coming back not only alive, but healthy.

If you chose to embrace The Big 5, you immediately have permission to believe in yourself, your people, your emotions and your path. As a leadership guide, I believe what sits at the core of effectiveness is not about the size of one's company, but the ability to hold the permission to believe in the commitment to the commitment. Together, The Big 5 adds resolve, clarity and energy to anyone moving into fearless leadership.