That's enough Passion. COMpassion is what leaders need

If I see one more recruitment advert saying "We are passionate about...and so should you be", or one more manager claiming they are passionate about quality, I think I'll hang up my monk's habit and turn to alcohol.

Apart from our misuse of the word 'passion' in business - It means 'suffering' - it's compassion that leaders really need. Literally this is the ability to feel others' suffering. But, just as we don't mean suffering when we say 'passion', we really mean, with 'compassion', empathy for what others feel, and a desire to improve that. I like this definition:

"A compassionate person develops an eye for spotting the qualities that make each person special. Even when others are at their lowest ebb, it is possible to help them restore their self-belief by keeping a firm, clear vision of their goodness and specialities. Taking a gently encouraging approach, I must never give up on anyone." *

Sounds like the best kind of leader to me.

* From www.thoughtfortoday.org.uk

So, Grasshopper, be a compassionate leader first, and a passionate one second.