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'Passion' drives local authors of business management book
Local authors Alaina Love and Marc Cugnon are on a mission. Having spent most of their successful careers in a large multinational corporation, they are now determined to do what they can to help change how companies and organizations operate.
Their book – “The Purpose Linked Organization – How Passionate Leaders Inspire Winning Teams and Great Results”- starts with the passion they found and how management can learn to tap into that resource for each individual within a particular organization.
“Everyone wants to feel fulfilled about the work they do,” said Love.
Some may think this is overly optimistic, not even remotely in the realm of possibility with corporate culture so ingrained, and as co-author Cugnon said, that culture is also “toxic.”
Too toxic. It can kill the yearning and spirit to have purpose in each of us, they said in an interview at their booksigning at Borders in Warrenton this past weekend.
Cugnon's wife and co-author Love said “companies are missing a competitive advantage if they don't capitalize on the passions of the people working for them.”
The old way of doing business she said, “is not a mindset that's serving them well anymore.”
Their book is a primer for leaders and managers to begin to tap into that resource.
They should know.
Both have had very successful corporate careers. The fruits of that are evident in the beautiful timber frame house in which they live, literally hidden away in a forest a little ways out from Flint Hill.
But material success just wasn't fulfilling, and a passion for purpose, they said, is at the core of all our lives.
Taking a cue from philosopher Joseph Campbell, Love and Cugnon identified 10 archetypes and the motivations that drive them.
However, they took these a few steps further, carefully recording characteristics, and with the help of the University of Michigan, developed a method of profiling individuals to reveal these archetypes or what they call “passion profiles.”
These passion profiles, in turn, help to identify purpose and it is purpose which drives people to excel. Why wouldn't leaders and managers want to tap into this?
This reporter – having taken the profile questionnaire available to anyone who purchases the book – can speak to the power and accuracy of their effort.
What really makes this book unique is that it is as much spiritual as it is material. It's definitely aimed at business, but Love and Cugnon seem to transcend the ordinary realm of how business is conducted today.
But they also have a credibility with business leaders that many authors who write about similar themes lack.
Love, from New Jersey, and Cugnon, from Belgium, both had long careers with pharmaceutical giant Merck which is where they met. Love is a columnist for Business Week magazine.
Even the skeptical can be challenged and influenced by what Love and Cugnon have to say as they consult to some of the biggest and well known companies in the world. Although they can't reveal their clients for confidentiality reasons, there are well known corporate leaders mentioned in the book including Rappahannock's own Chris Johns, Editor in Chief of National Geographic Magazine.
Despite being successful within Merck's corporate structure, Cugnon and Love felt they were missing their purpose in life. They both left, moved to a beautiful corner in Rappahannock in 2000, and started Purpose Linked Consulting. They began writing the book three years ago.
Cugnon has two children by a previous marriage, and Love and Cugnon have a son, Marc, who is 13 and attends Wakefield Country Day School. Both have been active in community and county charities.
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