This is a favorite leadership philosophy of outstanding achievers who followed their passion and succeeded.British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s father was said to have given her the same advice when she was young and became the foundation of her leadership development. She had a degree in chemistry but politics was her passion. Throughout her illustrious career she embodied this philosophy, and is one of the many reasons why she has always been distinctive. People either hated her with passion or loved her to death but she never buckled under pressure to conform.
Follow Your Bliss
People always love stories about underdogs who rose to fame doing extraordinary things. Extraordinary in the sense that they decided to pursue something that business schools never taught them.
Truth be told, a large chunk of them flunked business school anyway. It is reported that half of all millionaire businessmen are college dropouts and at least 50% of trailblazing CEOs were C students. Their common trait – they bucked the trends and pursued their passion.
Passion is very important in leadership. It is what drives people to take risks. To be a good leader, you must be passionate about your work and your goals. This single-mindedness will rub-off on others and soon, your whole team will share the same fervor.
Unlocking Your Passion
Sometimes it may be difficult to get away from the pressure to conform. However, if you want to succeed, this is a chance you have to take. The first step is to assess yourself and identify what it is that drives you. You need to identify the things that you aren’t happy about and what steps will change that.
Next, you have to strategize. You cannot just pack up and decide you want to be an artist spending your days at the seaside with your brushes expecting to be the next big thing. You can dream big, but you need to do a reality check too. Do you have the talent for it? Do you have the resources to support it? If you are excited about an entirely new product that came to you in a dream you should ask yourself – what would it take to actually bring this to market?
If you have a clear-cut plan and can’t wait to get started, share your thoughts with the team. Some, if not most of them will feel a little apprehensive at first so you need to communicate effectively to sell them on why you think your idea will be successful. It’s not what you say – it’s what they hear!
Plan for Success
With a new idea, it is normal to encounter hesitation and even outright resistance. One of the many important leadership qualities you should possess is the ability to motivate others to act upon ideas. Team building seminars and leadership development activities are intended to teach employees and managers the skills to drive change through others. If your company is going through massive changes or is about to, this the the best time to step up and influence that change.
You must plan to succeed. This means being prepared to commit to do whatever it takes to achieve your goal. When you believe in the idea, your confidence will radiate and convince others to rally behind you. This is one of the many marks of true leadership.
Click HERE for more of Magnovo President Rob Jackson‘s favorite leadership quotes.