Passion is one of the most common attributes of exemplary leaders. Who among us prefers to follow dull, uninspiring, visionless leaders? We much prefer to hitch our wagons to those leaders who grab us by the imagination and energize us.
The leaders I admire (and emulate) most are pretty good at the following Passion Pulls:
- They "see" a better future, one that depends on us collectively taking some bold and proactive steps.
- They persistently, relentlessly describe that future (mostly through stories) so that we can also "see" how we fit in to that future and how we can, from our various stations, contribute to its realization in meaningful ways.
- They LISTEN; well, often, attentively, painfully, patiently.
- They create and demand LEARNING environments at all levels in which it is always OK to question, to experiment, to tinker on the edges, to take risks, in the interest of pursuing those better futures.
- They encourage and cheer us as we enthusiastically pursue those better futures together; they also console us and empathize with us when we've fallen on our asses in the effort.
If you haven't already, consider finding and following leaders of just such ilk.