Leadership - Passion

Passion – “Fervor” or “Rage”

Strong leaders bring strong passions in my experience. There seem to be as many leadership styles as there are leaders.

Many management studies have suggested that effective managers are dispassionate fact based executors of lean business process that are continuously being improved. I am a passionate follower of lean thinking and understand the importance of fact based problem solving and establishing standard work in order to build upon the best practice. So we were taught and so I believe.

However, passion is an essential ingredient of leaders. I submit without a leader or group of leaders that are passionate about their product or customer or company they will not be able to sustain competitive advantage for a long period of time. The world changes too much There must be the passion found in the vision and foresight to make leaps of logic to meet new challenges and challenge organization paradigms.

I submit that behind every dispassionate fact based manager is a leader who has great emotion for his business, his belief system, and his vision. In fact, the best management teams have had a passionate visionary at the head with strong fact based dispassionate managers following his/her direction. The passionate manager’s fervor is kept in check by the reality of the managers implementing the strategy while having the fun and the thrill generated by the passion of the leader.

Passions in an organization are a powerful force for good or ill. Passion by its nature is disruptive and if not clearly articulated can be damaging on change adverse management teams and associates. Consistency is the hallmark of an effective passionate leader. I have experienced some who are angry and fly into rages because their passions for the business are so strong. They are effective as long as those below them understand their vision and passion and implement the plan consistently. Few can pull this style off, because without the passion of commitment to the group success, this style is seen as self-serving and egocentric damaging the core of the business.

An example of effective passion is a pastor friend of mine, who is totally committed to taking this successful church and leap into a modern form of worship as a radical change in worship style. He is the picture of passion for the church and passion for each individual person in the congregation. He is enthusiastic and joyful, tackling issues head on unafraid of change. When you are with him, you feel his fervor and want to follow his vision.

I have been blessed with working in my career with business leaders that have passion for the business and the customer. I have tried to emulate those examples and have formed a passion for my customers and businesses. I think those who have worked with me on my teams have seen that passion for the vision articulated and had fun along the way as we worked so hard to achieve those goals. So how do you gain that passion?

Eliminate inconsistency in your vision that you passionately articulate. Passion without integrity and consistency will leave a hollow and egotistical ring in the ear of the team members.

Provide a clear and consistent message of the strategic objective, why we are traveling there, and how you, the leader will support the team in arriving at the leap ahead destination. Say the message with fervor!

Motivate the team with an avid voice, constantly moving them forward through encouragement and clear communications on barriers and problems as well as successes!

Develop a strategic lean process to keep the team on track and make corrections within the context of the ardent direction put forward in support of the customer, product, associates, and business vision!

Envision the leader’s passion catching fire within the group and providing leaps of progress with sustained competitive advantages for the business!

My final thought: When you are passionate about the major commitments of your life, including your career, you are freed to have fun and enjoy life!