The Paradox of Passion: How It Helps You Succeed — And How It Can Backfire
THE EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS of people like Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey is often attributed in part to their high levels of passion for what they do. Indeed, popular discourse commonly describes successful individuals as paragons of passion. Academy Award-winning music composer A.R. Rahman stated this eloquently: “Success comes to those who dedicate everything to their passion in life.”
Prior research has taken an intrapersonal perspective and found that people who are passionate for their work attain increased success by exhibiting high levels of engagement, proactivity, cognitive flexibility and self-efficacy, as well as reducedlevels of stress. This perspective suggests that the beneficial outcomes of passion stem from characteristics within the individual.
In recent research, my colleagues and I offer a complementary perspective. Taking an perspective, we propose that expressing passion for one’s work stirs reactions and behaviours in other people that contribute to the success of the passionate individual. Richard Branson himself has recognized these benefits: “When you believe in something, the force of your convictions will spark other people’s interest and motivate them to help you achieve your goals. Passion, like a smile, is contagious. It rubs off on everyone around you and
