On last week’s show I shared how important it is to fall in love with the format. This week I’m sharing a bit of a different perspective.

I’ve worked with many amazingly talented people over my five decades in the biz. Regardless of the format, regardless the size of the market, regardless of job title, and even regardless of the level of experience talent shines through.

(Make a list of the ten most talented people you’ve worked with. The names will pop into your head with little effort).

Too many times I’ve been dragged into conversations about how to motivate someone. How to get them to do their show prep, work on their creativity, re-invent themselves for the new challenges of a rapidly changing media landscape. We’ve even talked about how to get people to show up on time.

Rarely have I seen arm-twisting someone to do their job be something other than a short-term success. I’ve learned it is far better to help them discover the passion already inside of them so they can live out their calling.

“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately happy. What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualization.”

Abraham Maslow