Passion for a Purpose vs Passion for a Plan

Passion when pursuing an idea is critical to success; but is your passion for a purpose, or it is passion for a plan?  The answer to that question just might be the biggest predictor for success.

If you want to convince somebody that your idea is a great one, passion is half the story - purpose is the other half.

I have the good fortune of hearing about 200 idea pitches a year.  It's fun, but especially enjoyable when the person presenting has a clear and demonstrable passion.  As Donald Trump reportedly said:

Without passion, you don't have energy, without energy, you have nothing. Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.

Or from Anthony Robbins:

Passion is the genesis of genius

Got it... be passionate.

Unfortunately, one thing that is frequently neglected, is to pinpoint what that passion should be focused on.

A slippery slope that faces many innovators, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs (intrapreneur: one who innovates within an existing organization) is to start shifting passion from an original purpose, to a tactical plan.  Let me illustrate with an example that is a combination from a few different experiences working with startup founders.

I recently encountered a budding entrepreneur who visited a developing country and saw some clear pains and suffering that ignited a passion to help the people there.  His passion to help turned into a socially-beneficial business idea.  That idea blossomed into conversations and discussions with others, who guided that idea into a reasonable business model.  Armed with a decent slide deck, he set out to change the world!  The problems started to come when, inevitably, some assumptions in his plan started to prove false and when some key incentives for partnerships weren't working out.  Through some brief discussions around potential pivots (pivot: when a business model concept changes direction), it was clear that he would not be convinced to change course.  He was determined, motivated, and highly passionate about the model and plan he had worked so much for and was inspired to push forward.  To this day, nothing has come of this idea, despite the greatest of intentions.

This founder was passionate, he was motivated, he was determined, he worked hard... but the venture was a failure.  Yet aren't we frequently given words of counsel such as this quote from Vince Lombardi:

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves...

In this case, failure was not due to a lack of passion, determination, or hard work, so those elements alone don't cut it.  Failure was due to where he placed the focus of those important characteristics.  As you tread down the path of executing on an idea, it is easy, in fact it is necessary, to get "caught up in the weeds" at times - to focus on the details; and it is critical that we retain our energy in bringing those details to life; but it is even more critical that we don't let that energy become rooted in the details; those roots will grow so strong and so deep that we will never be able to pull out and change course, even when it just might mean the failure of our original purpose. We must couple humility with passion and not let our excitement for an idea cloud the "why" that drives us forward.

How to Tell if Your Passion is Misguided

When a possible change in direction presents itself and your instinct is to say "no," ask yourself the following: is it possible that this change will still serve my original purpose?  If the answer is "yes," there is a good chance your passion for a plan is overriding your passion for the purpose.  Time to pause and give it more consideration.

How to Stay on Track

To avoid letting your passion become rooted in plans rather than purpose, at every major interchange, remind yourself of the "why" through this simple exercise.  Begin by asking "why" you are making the current decision, then ask "why is that important" to whatever the answer is, and continue asking "why" each time until you come back to that original cause that ignited your passion to begin with. Here is an example that might have helped guide the founder from my previous story:

• Why I am trying to make this decision?  To generate a partnership.
• Why is that partnership important?  It will help us reach our market.
• Why is that important?  We are providing a way for this market to generate more income and improve their standard of living.
• Why is that important?  It improves people's lives and benefits humanity. 

That exercise, alone, is a great way to re-calibrate the direction of your energy.  Once you've re-calibrated, you can then ask yourself, "if I pivot away from this decision or make a different decision, can I still serve that original purpose?"  More than likely, you will discover that at times, a pivot away from an original idea is quite necessary to serve your purpose - understanding that will help guide your passion in the right direction.

Conclusion

In my firm, when we investigate ideas to invest in, one major factor we look at is the founder or founding team.  Among the many variables we consider, perhaps the weightiest is whether or not there is a strong passion for the purpose rather than a passion for the plan.  Passion is important, but if it is centered on a tactical plan, with an unwillingness to learn, adapt, and pivot when necessary, the venture is quite likely to fail; but when a founder is passionate for the purpose and ready to accept direction and consider changes in course, then we are likely betting on a winner, even if the original idea changes.

If you want to convince somebody that your idea is a great one, "passion" is only half of the story; "purpose" is the other half.  Make sure that your passion always fuels from your purpose and I'm confident you'll find success.

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Have an experience or story to tell about "passion" when pursuing an idea? Share it in the comments!

THANK YOU for reading this post! Please "share" or "like" if you received any insights from my writing or are simply feeling generous :-) Here are a few other LinkedIn posts I've written that you may enjoy:

• Splitting the Atom: Why Social Startups Fail
• Startups & Soap Operas: How They're Exactly Alike
• Oops, I Got You Fired! Nobody Can Avoid Office Politics
• Leadership: When Compliments Fail
• A Framework for Managing the "Let Down"

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