Passion wins. But only when passion is aligned to goals, to purpose, and to governance structures that create great teamwork.Pure passion catalyzes and transforms. It inspires, innovates, and invents. Pure passion is a spark, a fire, sometimes an inferno.
But passion alone, without alignment mechanisms, without discipline, is often not productive. It careens, distracts, and ultimately burns itself (and others) out.
The triumph is to align passion to purpose to people.
This aligning is a process, and a demanding one. Passion fights process. Passion hates to be patient. Passion tramples teamwork.
True leaders align passions through process, without dousing the fire. Unfortunately, there is little training about how to balance. In fact, our educational systems tend to polarize. Most formal training tends to dampen creativity and passion. On the other hand, many managers are taught to coddle creatives/passionates as if subjecting them to rigorous process would irreparably damage their mystical skills.
How true leaders balance passion with process is high art. And a topic I will write more about.
“If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.” -Ben Franklin
Also see my post: what is passion?
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