Passion, in this context, means having a positive mind-set while also consistently generating more verve than the minimum level required to do something. Seth Godin in his book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?, challenges us by writing, “Perhaps your challenge isn’t finding a better project or a better boss. Perhaps you need to get in touch with what it means to feel passionate. People with passion look for ways to make things happen.”
Here, passion is about excelling rather than being an ‘also-ran.’ A passionate leader ‘goes the extra mile’, rallies the team around her, and instils passion into each team member’s spirit. On the other hand, an emotional leader is prone to screaming and yelling at his team members, in an attempt to motivate them.
As Daniel Goleman asserts, “in my research, extreme displays of negative emotion have never emerged as a driver of good leadership.”
Are you leading with passion or emotion?
“Rethink without over-thinking”
GAICD, M.Comp (Monash)
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