Purpose and Passion - what they mean in Leadership

When I look at ants I think of a clear sense of purpose. Have you ever noticed that they try to find and carry the biggest possible pieces of food? In fact, when one ant finds it challenging to carry a big chunk, other ants move in to help. The alignment is extraordinary, and no matter what the obstacle, they are ready to move over, under and around every possible block that they find on the way. And they all move towards their destination.

What drives these ants? They have a clear purpose. They have to save the food for difficult times. The purpose is the greatest reward that makes them work with passion.

Passion makes you perform your tasks well, maybe even to the best of your abilities. And what makes you passionate is the purpose.

Leaders have a clear purpose. I am not getting into vision or long-term or short-term goals here. I am looking at anything you do - you may want to achieve some goals in 10 years or some by tomorrow. Is the purpose clear? If it is, it means you know 'why' you are doing what you are doing. The 'why' is something you can relate to and something that makes you passionate to achieve that goal.

Imagine, as a leader, you make the purpose absolutely clear for your team members. What does that do to them? Do you take the time and effort to make the purpose clear for them? Can they relate to the purpose? Can you create an alignment with the purpose and their interests and thoughts? This is what is the fundamental step for a leader. Once the purpose is clear and aligned, passion takes over. Passion is the bye-product of making the purpose clear.

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