Just outside my office sits National Harbor on the shores of the Potomac River. From the window, I can see the throng of soccer fans packed together to watch each United States match in the World Cup on a giant projection screen.

After seeing how thrilled the fans became when Team USA advanced to the round of 16 despite losing to Germany, I thought to myself, "This enthusiasm and passion is just how it should be in a workplace."

Being a leader in any job can be difficult, but with the right attitude you can affect multiple people around you. I've learned through all of my job experiences that employees reflect their leaders. And "attitude reflects leadership" — to quote my favorite movie, "Remember the Titans."

So as I’m gearing up to cheer on Team USA in the next round, I've been thinking that I need to be as devoted to my company as fans are to their sports teams.

With that said, here's why leaders are just like a sports team and your employees are your fans.

By definition, sports fans are enthusiastic devotees of sports. From clothing to the sport-specific lingo, they've got it all. Fans are the bread and butter of sports teams, just like your employees are for your business.

And it's not all about winning or getting to the playoffs; fans have the passion about their team that goes beyond performance. Fans want to follow their favorite teams throughout the year.

Employees want this kind of engagement with their companies. They want to know as much as possible about the business, so engage them. When teams don't listen to fan feedback, the fans don't stick around for long. If you don't listen to your employees and include them in discussions and decision-making processes, they may not stick around for long either.

The same can be said for customers. Engaging the fans of your product or service will also help your company. Marketing your business is all about getting the attention of your "fans," hence why you should get to know them. Find out their likes, their dislikes and what makes them tick.

When employees and customers turn into fans, they are willing to go to great lengths to express their love for your business.

In the past, the relationship between fans and their favorite sports team was essentially nonexistent. If they were lucky, they were able to get a picture with their favorite player or an autograph, but for the most part they just stood by their team with little notice. But now fans are closer to their teams than ever before.

The walls within businesses have come down as well. From interacting with employees to the huge social media presence of engaging with customers, leaders need to realize that their fans are an integral part of their success. It's time to start rewarding them for their support.