What Most Leaders Don't Understand About Passion

Annually during this "March Madness" time of the year, the word "passion" is thrown around even more than normal. Often in this season, this word is used to describe the intense physical and emotional efforts of basketball players as they fight toward the goal they have been working for all year. It's an interesting "coincidence" that this is also the season used to describe the process our Savior went through for the redemption of our sins.

In my experience as a business consultant and career coach, when most leaders use the word passion they are referring to common definitions, such as "nearly uncontrollable desire," "intense enthusiasm," or "outbursts of emotion." Unfortunately most leaders confuse passion with excitement. The true essence of passion goes much deeper than mere excitement. Genuine passion toward a cause or purpose forges ahead even after the excitement has died down.   

What many leaders fail to recognize or embrace is the uncommon definition of passion, which is suffering. And although it is uncommon, it actually may be the most significant definition. I wonder why we rarely if ever connect passion to suffering - other than with Jesus. It's probably because suffering isn't something leaders aspire to. It's something most try to avoid.

Well if suffering is too difficult to embrace, what about the word perseverance. Most leaders can agree that without perseverance significant accomplishments won't happen. However, it doesn't come easy. Perseverance must be practiced and proven in order to become profitable.

Passion Isn't Passion Without Perseverance
Recently leadership guru John Maxwell wrote a very enlightening article, Going Beyond Talent: Eliminating 5 Enemies of Perseverance, which describes the close relationship between passion and perseverance. According to Beyond Talent, we must eliminate the five greatest enemies of perseverance to bring greater chance of success. These include:

1. A lifestyle of giving up
   
2. A wrong belief that life should be easy
   
3. A wrong belief that success is a destination
   
4. A lack of resiliency
   
5. A lack of vision
   

(MORE: Passion @ Work Faith Based Career Development Programs)

Your leadership legacy is going to be closely tied to your level of perseverance, i.e. willingness to suffer for what you believe in. What are you willing to suffer through to do something that's never been done before?

Read the entire article at: http://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/going-beyond-talent-eliminating-5-enemies-of-perseverance

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Career Development Resources

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