Updated from November 10, 2014 post
Passion is vital to effective leadership. But is it enough?
That question has stayed with me throughout this week, as the Willow Creek Association has presented, “Partnering to Prevail”, our annual training event for international church leaders.
The 160 leaders from South America, Africa and Europe each personify passionate leadership. But beyond passion, I have also seen a second trait that gives passion its potency for leaders.
And as I reflected in this earlier post, it’s a combination leaders must strive to master.
For long-lasting impact to occur, a heavy dose of discipline must come along right after passion.
Discipline is the ability to systematically and methodically push through obstacles. It’s what enables a leader to channel all of that passion into a sustainable plan that delivers results.
Together, passion and discipline create a formidable leadership combination.
Here are 10 realities leaders know about the one-two punch of passion and discipline:
1. Passion sees the vision. Discipline translates it into action.
2. Passion attracts a team. Discipline builds the team
3. Passion makes good decisions. Discipline implements the decisions.
4. Passion establishes values. Discipline lives the values out.
5. Passion envisions a healthy culture. Discipline makes it happen.
6. Passion describes the goal. Discipline forms the strategy to reach the goal.
7. Passion creates priorities. Discipline executes the priorities.
8. Passion generates ideas. Discipline turns them into reality.
9. Passion challenges people to grow. Discipline helps them do it.
10. Passion drives innovation. Discipline drives implementation.
The point, of course, is not that one is more important than the other.
Rather, passion and discipline are dependent on each other.
But the reality is, passion gets more press. Passion is flashier. But without the discipline to translate all that passion into action, you’re left with nothing more than hype.
So by all means, be sure your leadership contains plenty of passion.
Just be sure it’s followed up by a heavy dose of discipline.
That’s the one-two punch you’ll need for long-lasting, high-impact results.
How do you make sure discipline always accompanies passion in your leadership?
