Leaders that lack passion will soon be pulled in opposing directions. 

Leaders that lack a passion for their vision or their goals will be torn apart as their organization moves forward. There are always going be distractions, competing interests and adversity that the leader must recognize and respond appropriately to.

What is Passion? 

Passion is a sincere energy and a contagious enthusiasm.

If someone can catch your energy then you have contagious enthusiasm. It is often called charisma. Leaders have to have some of “it”. This is often the “it” that is undefinable, but totally followable by others. Leaders that lack this will simply be filling a position. They will not have the power to motivate those around them. Subsequently, when a leader lacks the power to motivate, he/she will resort to manipulation.

Leaders are masters of motivation and never resort to manipulation. 

Manipulation is the twisting of another for your personal achievement. Deception and flattery are the twin arms of manipulation. Beware of people who falsely praise you (flatter). Beware of people who twist things (deception). Leaders operate in the light. The light is transparency.

Motivation is the ability to inspire others. Passionate leaders have the ability to inspire others, where place-holder position people (poor leaders) resort to coercion, manipulation and extortion. Inspiration and motivation move people from the heart. The ability to motivate and inspire people results in the growing of the leader’s influence.

Leaders aren’t motivated by praise, they are motivated by passion. 

It is impossible for a leader to positively influence others if they do not have at least a baseline level of self-motivation. Leaders do not wait for the applause or praise of others to move forward. They don’t need the crowd’s approval. Passion is built from conviction. Conviction will stand when others sit and sit when all others stand. Conviction is born of belief.

Leaders move forward with conviction, not the crowd.

Leaders don’t test which way the wind is blowing to make a decision. These type of leaders are not leaders, but position fillers who are more concerned with themselves than the mission of the organization or others. Leaders who live by the crowd will also die by the crowd. Leaders must have conviction that stems from their heart and translates the thoughts in their head. If you are all head an no heart, then you will be swayed into a position that you may not be comfortable.

Leaders are courageous, not cowardly. 

Leaders face their fears and move forward. Place-holders, who think they are leaders because of their position, see shadows and retreat or run away. Courage is required by all effective leaders. Courage is strength on display. Cowards capitulate and surrender to fear. Leaders are willing to take the first step all the way until the last step.

“You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.“

Christopher Columbus

Leaders full of passion will take more ground, inspire more people and cross oceans to reach lands where dreams do come true.

Go live your dream. Inspire Others.

Pursue it with Passion.

Property of Redwall Leadership Academy. 

All material is (c) 2016, Redwall, LLC.