The correlation between how much you care and how much you succeed is palpable. You could be the most talented baker in the world, but if you don’t love to bake there is only so high that you will be able to go. Caring and passion push those that are good into greatness, and it’s not something that comes in time or develops more as you go, it seems it truly is there or it isn’t. Whether this is in our careers or in our relationships we have to care more than anything about them to be able to fight through adversity. There is a difference however between external and internal care.

External care can be deceptive. Maybe we care because we want validation, or we are seeking safety and security. That type of care can be detrimental, because it is dependent on things outside of ourselves. This care is misguided and has our self worth tied to the result or the reactions of others. In career and relationships we have to be married to the progress and the work, and ultimately this will be what allows us to achieve success apart from external circumstances.

When you are building a team, the first characteristic that comes to mind might not be caring. It might be an afterthought or something that you assume is a prerequisite. This turns out to not be true. Look for the person that may need a little more training or coaching to get there, but cares more than anything else. That person will have the capacity to go further because he or she will continue to work even past what they have been told they are capable of, and this includes ourselves as well.