Jobs are what we make them. When we bring nothing, they become nothing. When we use them to unleash our spirit, they become an adventure.

Jobs give us a chance to show what we’re made of, what we stand for, and what we care about. When we take them to heart, there’s no hiding it. We do the work with an eagerness that spills over to others.

No spirit. No drive. No fun.

I’ll grant that a lot of employers do all they can to take the joy out of working. Creative, enthusiastic employees with a “can do” attitude and the energy to go with it are told to:

• Stick to the formula
• Follow the pack
• Slow down
• Be more careful
• Know your place

These companies see employees like machinery. Only robots need apply.

We aren’t androids. We come with a beating heart and an active mind. Our life history, our sense of self, and our world view are high octane motivators. So it’s important for us to keep our spirit and drive alive as we build our careers.

A personal brand is more than credentials, skill sets, and performance. If you’re not sure what your brand is, ask people the first word or phrase they think of when they hear your name. Will they say you’re someone who will:

• Say, “Yes, I can do that”
• Volunteer in a pinch
• Defend and/or do what’s right
• Accept a risky assignment
• Stretch yourself

Every day we show what we’re made of by the way we approach our jobs. An effusive, uncontained, and generous spirit drives a vigorous career and strengthens us.

Let your heart be your guide.

Nothing’s better than an “I’m going for it” spirit. I thought you might like to meet a few folks who have it as the centerpiece of their personal brand:

Carla was the new executive director of a high visibility, non-profit child care agency in dire straits. She was a fearless, undaunted advocate for disadvantaged children, determined to increase public awareness, improve services, and stabilize funding. Nothing was going to stop her.

She became a national voice for these children, built a high-performing organization, expanded services, ran a capital campaign to build a multi-million dollar facility, and didn’t rest until the needs of these children were served.

Peggy was a marketing supervisor for a technology company bought out by a giant. She was considered an outsider after the transition and didn’t like that one bit. She knew her marketing creativity and leadership skills were strong but not being utilized.

Knowing that she could do more, she set out to showcase her talents by asking for high visibility assignments. Each time she stepped out, more higher- ups recognized her. She put herself out there as a speaker, executive event planner, global representative, and marketing manager. Her respect for her talents and drive to serve the company earned her executive status.

Mark was an entry-level hire with a degrees in English and government at a Fortune 500 energy company. As a non-engineering employee, his career growth opportunities seemed limited. But Mark has an exceptional ability to learn and understand business and technical operations.

He also has an uncontainable desire to make a difference and a strong commitment to employees. By saying “yes” to some ugly assignments, Mark succeeded in saving the company tens of millions, fixing major process failures, and building the company brand—all a reflection of his willingness to take personal career risks for the greater good. He has never lost his drive.

Let your spirit be your guide.

We need to do all we can to nurture our spirit as we work. That inner drive that lets us know we’re doing something that matters is served by each heartbeat. Business fitness starts by understanding what kind of success we really want. Our heart tells us that. Our spirit and drive make it happen. And the beat goes on!