Find Your Passion

Leaders are passionate. They care deeply about something. It is the leader’s enthusiasm that attracts followers to an issue.

Leaders do not push or pull people to do things; leaders attract people to become involved. What attracts people will differ based on the needs and values of the people involved and the circumstances in which they find themselves. However, a leader cannot generate enthusiasm in others if that leader is not enthused.

Passion releases what I call the E-Forces: Excitement, Enthusiasm, Energy, Effort. Excitement is the physical sensation that passion arouses within us. Enthusiasm is our mind focusing our excitement on a specific target. Energy is the power generated by our passion. Effort is the outward manifestation of our passion in the form of action.

I don’t recall where I first came across this exercise, but it may help you to uncover your own passion. Start by completing the following sentence stems:
My heart pounds with excitement when….
I feel especially good about myself when….
I get a lump in my throat when….
I lose track of time whenever I am….
If I could be any person in history, I would be….
When I dream about my future, I see myself….
If I could change one thing about the world, it would be….

Study your responses. What do they reveal about what excites you or what you care about?

You may want to follow up with this next exercise:
1. For one week carry a notepad and record as you do things what activities you loathed or loved.
2. Analyze your log and identify what you enjoy doing.
3. Determine what makes those activities enjoyable. Consider place, time of day, people present, skills used, degree of achievement, etc.
4. Consider how what you are passionate about relates to your development as a leader.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Find your passion and discover your own greatness.