FollowtheLeader.indd

LEADERS ARE PASSIONATE

leader soon becomes a paranoid leader. As a result, he cuts himself off
more and more from people. He distances himself from his followers.
His inner circle gets smaller and smaller – until it is finally reduced to a
majority of one! At that point, he will no longer share power...share authority...
share control...share responsibility...share resources...share profits...share
praise...share anything! His passion has now become a personality cult! Secular
and spiritual history is full of tragic examples of such perverted passion in
the hands of paranoid leaders. The story of their lives and leadership are
littered with the lives of broken, disillusioned, destroyed followers!

There is a timely warning here in our discussion of passion that must also
be heeded. When the cause becomes the sole passion of the leader, others
soon give up their ownership in it. They walk away. That’s because the
followers don’t want the leader to achieve alone. They want to have a real
sense of partnership and ownership in the vision. Along with the leader, they too
want to cross the finish line...make the goal...share the success...experience the
victory...celebrate in the winner’s circle! Richard Phillips writes this about
what I call exclusive victories as opposed to inclusive victories:

Your triumph is not itself inspiring to anyone but you. It is the

triumph of the cause, of the faith, of the quest and the calling that

electrifies the hearts of followers.^10

Even though both secular history and Biblical revelation are full of
examples of perverted passion – leadership still cannot go far without it.
In spite of the inherent dangers in it, it is still impossible to lead without
passion. However, the greatest passion is purified passion! Only when leadership
passion is broken by God...purified by the Holy Spirit...enlightened by Holy
Writ...and cleansed of ego is it worthy to follow!

Principle: “Self-sacrifi ce is the acid test of our

passion”^11 (Fred Smith)

For decades, Fred Smith has been a respected leadership advisor in the
secular world, and leadership mentor in the Christian world. He has
written some of the most helpful insights on passion that I have ever
read. In his great book, Leading With Integrity, Smith gives us a very
balanced definition of passion. I believe as leaders understand and apply
this definition of passion in their lives, there will be balance. Here is his
definition: