Passion for What? Key Considerations for Passion in the Sport Workplace

The sporting world is replete with emotion. Intense feelings of many forms are experienced by a wide range of actors consuming sport, with passion receiving some of the greatest attention across a spectrum of emotions studied in sport management. The notion of passionate employees is ubiquitous in the sport environment, with research suggesting emotion from the sporting arena spills over to the workplace. This article highlights key considerations about sport employee passion that need addressing, including what it is that they are actually passionate about, the role that identity plays for these individuals, and whether sport employee passion is inherently good. Discussion ensues on the origin of sport employee passion, with a focus on leadership as a potential driver of this phenomenon. Approaches that may be well-positioned to effectively influence sport employee passion include emotionally intelligent leadership, empathic leadership, and identity leadership. Keywords: passion, leadership, identity, employees, workplace, sport management.