The 7 passions of A Leader

Leadership is measured by result. So it's understandable that most leaders  tend to switch their attention to  building and expressing their  competencies at the expense of their passion. Without understanding the passions connected to leadership  you could unwittingly disregard or misdirect your passion in a way that ultimately cost you success.  Leading without passion makes your  success mechanical and temporary.  Those who misapply ,misjudge  or are unaware of the influence of passion in the achievement of group goals often end up  being perceived as insensitive,exploitative  and hated by their very own people. 

 When goal achievement is the only motivation then the essence of leadership is lost. Leadership begins from the heart. It takes both skill and heart to lead effectively. A true leader has certain passions that  midwife the achievement of set objectives with people. Here are some of them:

1). Passion for people

The real reason for  leadership is people. If there is no one following you then you are simply taking a walk. Leaders need people to find meaning. True leaders place priority on people and not the pecks or accolades of leadership. Having passion for people means you believe in them ,you value them and love them.  A leader who puts his people first makes sacrifices, respects,empathizes  and is devoted to the people and their needs. He never takes advantage of the people . Self centeredness is a sign that one lacks the heart or passion of a leader.

2) Passion for change  

 Leadership is about changing the order of things. Leaders are people of vision. They see how a situation could be and not how it is currently. They recognise the possibility of beauty within the bad and  a message within the mess so they commit to actualizing it.  Leaders make themselves willing and committed instruments of change. They are consumed by the need and desire for a better future for their people. To a true leader,  making a difference is more important than making a profit

3) Passion for values 

 Vision often requires critical behavioral adjustment to become attainable. Leaders create paradigm shifts that entrench those new behaviors or culture. Since values are the molding blocks of behavior,leaders place extended priority on cultivating those sets of values that  create the desired culture. They ensure that group goals, strategy, attitude and behavior align. Simply put, leaders are passionate about helping their people develop the right culture that supports the success of the  shared vision. Without the right culture vision leads to frustration.

4) Passion for connection

People hate to be seen and treated as tools. They want their leaders to acknowledge that they are  first humans who deserve to be treated with respect, fairness and equity.  They desire to become vulnerable  yet feel secure. Great leaders are aware of this so they work to build  strong connections with their team members outside of work.  It all begins with cultivating a solid mutually caring relationship with your people. It is often said that people don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care.   True leaders are passionate about connecting with their people and other stakeholders  at a deeper level beyond work. 

5) Passion for truth

Decision determines destiny. In other words, the success of any leader cannot be greater than the quality of his decisions. Where a leader is situated on the ladder of success is the summary representation  of the quality of  all his  decisions so far.  However, great decisions are founded on hard core truth.  Leaders fail when they insist on the reality in their own world even when the reality on ground is on the contrary. Assumptions and fantasy are  wreckers when it comes to decision- making . True leaders therefore are overly conscious of not being self blindsided by them.  By digging up and confronting  the brutal facts  leaders are able to make sound decisions on a consistent basis. Infact, all respected leaders have one thing in common-they  never make critical decisions until they have all the facts. 

6) Passion for work 

The difference between vision and its accomplishment is work. Without putting in the work, a vision becomes a mere wish. This is. because without work nothing works. Someone who understands work as the major vehicle of change passionately rolls up his sleeves.  A leader's passion for work is what ignites and draws others to believe and  commit themselves to  work towards the accomplishment of set goals. 

7) Passion for self improvement

Leadership is a big deal. The changing demands of leadership are literally endless. For example, the skill set needed to birth a  business  is  very different from what is needed to run it. It takes a new you to accomplish a new level of results at  different levels of leadership.  This is why great leaders  never allow themselves to get complacent about continuous self development. They regularly acquire new skills, improve on their strength and learn  effective delegation as a way of taking  care of  their weaknesses.