Realizing your potential, reaching your potential, and helping others to realize and reach theirs as well…that’s leadership!
Howard C. Fero, PhD
The Leadership Doc
There are many ways to be an effective leader, to inspire our followers, and most importantly to inspire leadership in all those around us. In this inaugural Leadership post in the Albertus Magnus College blog I will talk to you about what I think is one of the most important dimensions of leadership, passion!
The Secret Ingredient is Passion
Passion for a cause makes you a more impactful leader. If we are all to take control of our lives, become successful at what we do, and, as a leader does, inspire people along the way, we need to find that ‘thing’ or that ‘cause’ that inspires passion in us, develop it to its potential, and use it to help others. When we are passionate about a cause it is palpable to those around us and will encourage and excite those around us to feel the same.
So, how do we find our passion?
It begins with self-discovery. Think about those things that you most enjoy doing. Do you love to create programs, do you love to teach children, heal others, help people with their finances, play ball? It could be anything, we all find our passion in different areas, the key is to find it, act on it, and add value to what we are doing and who we are doing it with. Think about how you act when you’re doing what you love. Most likely you are excited, happy, in the zone, and focused. When you are doing these things your passion shows and others around you know it. They want to follow you because they want to be excited about something just as you are.
People like Steve Jobs and Herb Kelleher in business, like Joe Maddon, Davey Johnson, and Don Mattingly in baseball, and people like Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, and the Dali Lama who have done so much for our society are all very different types of leaders, but they were and are quite similar in that they were driven by their passion to do whatever it takes to promote their cause. I reference these vastly different people to show that when exhibiting our passion we do so in different ways for we are all individuals. Passion does not need to be shown by jumping up and down screaming, it can be exemplified by quiet, but meaningful words. We need to always pay attention to the situation we are in, the people we are trying to impact, and the strengths we have as a leader. When we understand these three dimensions and how they work together we can lead ourselves and those around us to success.
I challenge you all to think about those causes you are passionate about, get involved, and begin (or continue) to enact change!
Dr. Howard Fero, is an Associate Professor of Business and Leadership and the Director of Graduate Leadership programs at Albertus Magnus College. When not teaching classes and overseeing the Leadership programs at Albertus Dr. Fero uses his expertise to help individuals and organizations achieve optimal performance and effectiveness as The Leadership Doc. Dr. Fero will be blogging about different leadership topics throughout the year and speaks about these topics in his classes in the Master of Arts in Leadership and Master of Science in Management and Organizational Leadership Programs. He welcomes your comments and looks forward to communicating with you in our exciting new blog.