Many times people lead out of fear.

Fear of loss. Fear of losing power, influence, wealth, or relevance.

Many of these fears are borne out of envy.

Envy is the feeling of discontent and longing for the prestige, possessions, and/or power that another person has.

Envy is a destructive feeling and has no place in leadership.

Envy can be a synonym for jealousy. Jealous has many similar definitions.

But one definition of jealous comes from it’s root word – “zeal”.

To be truly jealous is to be full of zeal. Zeal is great enthusiasm and devotion towards a cause, ideal, or goal. It is tireless diligence in its furtherance.

Zeal, and thus jealousness, rightly applied, is a beneficial trait. The positive definition of jealous is to be vigilant in guarding something.

A successful leader is jealous for the mission of their organization.

A great leader should be jealous to maintain the core values and ensure they are not diluted over time.

A sharp leader will be jealous to see their people grow and develop into amazing leaders in their own right.

A truly  jealous leader will not be envious of the success of others. Rather, with zeal they will focus on the mission they are charged with, and not be distracted by anything that will take them off course.

A leader with a jealous zeal will not lead out of fear, but rather diligence, courage, and inspiration.

Are you an envious leader, or a jealous leader. Are you fearful or hopeful? The choice is yours. The results will tell.

(image courtesy of maati.tv)