Leadership requires love. For many people the word love is over-romanticized. Love is actually a decision, a commitment, a passion. In marriage and in every aspect of life, love is not something that we fall into but rather is a decision that we make. Love is a necessary part of leadership in two aspects.

First, to be an effective leader you must love what you do. An effective leader is grateful for the opportunity to lead and influence people and the organization. An effective leader has a passion to lead. A half-hearted attempt will always fall short of leadership; without seeing this passion from the leader, the organization flounders. A leader has a commitment to the organization that he or she leads. This commitment provides the resiliency and motivation to push through obstacles and continue moving the organization forward. Leadership requires passion that drives vision and focus.

Secondly, to be an effective leader requires that you love the people around you. Leadership requires a relationship of trust and respect. A leader can only build that relationship upon a genuine appreciation for, interest in, and caring for the people in the organization. A leader must desire to serve his or her people to develop them and to enable them to grow and be effective.

Love of what you do and love of the people around you generates energy. It draws people in to relationship and influence. It makes leadership effective.

Do you have that passion for leading and for those that you lead?