I recently heard someone say that there’s a fine line between expressing passion and having it mistaken for power. That’s one thing about people who are passionate about something. They have this driving force that can become a little dominating and almost pushy if read the wrong way. Certainly there are people who just want the power, but for the most part I believe people who want the power, do so because they are passionate about something and they feel that the people in power don’t have the passion. It’s driving by passion, not power.
So there are three things I learned from this conversation. 1) Maybe it’s not that the other people aren’t passionate, maybe they just aren’t telling others what’s going on. These people often don’t see the point in letting people know what’s going on until it’s going on or they tend towards the humble side of things, making sure they don’t sound boastful. Come to find out, there are a bunch of amazing things happening. The hindrance though for this leader is that they could possibly get more people on board the passion, but many are unaware that there is something to jump on board with. You don’t have to tell everyone everything, but little glimpses into what’s being worked on goes a long way.
2) If you’re the one with the passion, others around you may not get it or jump on board. If you have a passion, expect for some time that you may be the only one riding the horse down that trail. And that’s okay. People have passion and want to be passionate, but they might not feel comfortable if all of a sudden you pass all the passion responsibility off to the next person on board. And when things first start out, everyone understands there’s a lot of time and investment needed. The hindrance this leader can fall into is getting so upset that no one else sees the need that they give up on it as well. If you have a passion, carry the passion and tell people about it, but be aware how you might be coming across.
3) Some people do come across pushy and almost power hungry. The important thing is to not assume that is the case. Getting to know them on a personal level and discover what is driving them can actually excite you as well. Passionate people are contagious and leaders, and the hindrance is that if you’re unwilling to have a couple of hard and awkward conversations to get to understand, you may miss out on having a really dedicated, amazing, passionate person around.
There may be a fine line between passion and power, but with a little awareness and personal connection, it should be pretty clear which one it is. And it’s pretty important to find out, because the benefits seem to outweigh what happens when we only assume which one it is.
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I've been reflecting a lot on a related topic lately. It's how backwards Jesus' use of power is, when compared with the world. Jesus didn't seek power over, he paradoxically became more powerful by giving up his power.
Even your phrasing highlights a fascinating distinction. As you know, and as that (terrible) movie alluded to, the time and events leading up to the crucifixion are often called "The Passion of Christ."
He certainly had power (in the world's sense of the word) at this time; but he didn't exercise this power as he was beaten, mocked, and ultimately crucified.
I think we sometimes have the best of intentions, and we might have a Christ-like goal in mind, but we try and achieve this goal by wielding power in the way of the world. For example, we coerce and manipulate others into signing on for a Godly ministry. This would be like Jesus turning Pilot into a toad after he was flogged, or Jesus shutting down his pain receptors as they drove the nails into his hands. He certainly could have done these things. But exercising his power would have undercut the reason for his passion.
Other times, people simply expect that we'll wield power in this manner because that's what they expect and that's what they are used to. As you say, the character of the leader seems key.