I want to devote this post to something I feel very passionate about … leading with passion! Warren Bennis, who I have quoted several times in different posts, points to passion as a basic ingredient of leadership … and describes this as “the underlying passion for the promises of life, combined with a very particular passion for a vocation, a profession, a course of action.” He goes on to say that “The leader who communicates passion gives hope and inspiration to other people.” My sense of passion is that it is something inside of us that drives our actions … that makes us throw caution to the wind and put all of our energies into embracing our convictions. Passion is without equal in its ability to push us beyond our limitations to achieve what will otherwise always be just out of reach. And truthful, compelling passion is something that kindles the fires in others … that causes the abandonment of fear in others … and that generates a level of belief that can overcome all odds.
Dale Carnegie put it this way, “Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.” William James, a noted psychologist and philosopher, similarly wrote that “It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” Arthur James Balfour, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905 and very much a philosopher, stated this even more succinctly in saying that “Enthusiasm moves the world.” I could not agree more, but it is so important that this be legitimate enthusiasm … that which is derived from real passion.
Getting back to the Warren Bennis quotes above, I truly feel that if one is to be fully successful at what they do they must have a keen passion for the pursuit … be it their profession of choice, their personal mission in life, the strength of their relationships, or their actions of the moment. And re one’s profession, I have been a nonprofit executive for an entire career … and I cannot imagine doing anything else in my professional life. Working with volunteers and other members to achieve an organizational/professional mission is exhilarating and rewarding. Making a difference in the process is the label of my passion. It is what drives me. And, I feel, is what has enabled me to overcome a lifetime of odds to achieve at what I do. I am not the smartest, the most gifted, the most charismatic, or among the best at so many other aspects of what I do, but I know how to bring people together, to “synergize” a following, and to realize success. And this is because I am honestly, openly and believably passionate about what I do.
I have seen cohorts so much more talented than I am lead unfulfilled professional lives, in my mind predominantly because they are in the game because of the title or the power that accompanies it. They are not passionate about what they do … they are passionate about what they, as individuals, achieve. And this is the critical difference. Author Clarence Day underscored this in saying that “You can’t sweep other people off their feet if you can’t be swept off your own.” For passion to be anything other than real, is to lose one’s following over time. Believe in what you do, care about what you do, be passionate about what you do … and others will follow, with success not far behind.
Author Cross-references:
Arthur James Belfour: None
Warren G. Bennis: Also see posts 1/14/09, 2/6/09, 5/1/09, 8/17/09, 11/11/09, 12/5/09, 2/18/10
Dale Carnegie: None
Clarence Day: None
William James: None
Key Word Cross-references:
Authentic/Believable/Genuine: Also see posts 1/2/09, 1/28/09, 2/18/09, 2/25/09, 3/16/09, 10/26/09, 12/5/09, 1/4/10, 5/26/10
Communication/Effective Speaking: Also see posts 12/12/08, 3/4/09, 5/17/09, 6/26/09, 7/7/09, 9/9/09, 11/20/09, 12/5/09, 1/4/10, 1/29/10
Enthusiasm: Also see post 3/16/09
Inclusive/Open/Honest/Transparent: Also see posts 12/12/08, 4/20/09, 5/1/09, 7/7/09, 8/3/09, 10/26/09, 11/11/09, 1/29/10, 5/26/10
Inspiration/Motivation: Also see posts 1/16/09, 2/3/09, 2/18/09, 2/25/09, 5/17/09, 6/5/09, 6/26/09, 9/9/09, 2/18/10, 4/19/10
Making a Difference: Also see post 9/26/09
Optimist/Positive Attitude: Also see posts 2/19/09, 3/16/09, 3/25/09, 7/7/09, 12/5/09
Passion: Also see posts 6/26/09, 9/26/09, 12/5/09
Setting the Example: Also see posts 12/12/08, 1/13/09, 3/16/09, 5/1/09, 5/17/09, 6/5/09, 7/7/09, 8/17/09
Synergy: Also see posts 2/19/09, 11/20/09
Tags: Leadership
on Leadership ... by Steven Davis, CAE 
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