Successful leaders invest their time and energy learning all they can about their world so that they, and their teams, achieve their goals.  This is what we all look for in our leaders; isn’t it?  While we do look for knowledgeable and focused people to follow, there is one more trait that sets apart those who are passionately followed – EMOTION!

The ancient Greek philosopher Plato said, “Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.”  You see, knowing what you want (desire) and learning how to get it (knowledge) isn’t enough for us humans. How we feel about our walk in life (emotions) really matters.

Emotions aren’t something else you do; they are integral to everything you do.

Denis Waitley said, “The secret to productive goal setting is in establishing clearly defined goals, writing them down and then focusing on them several times a day with words, pictures and emotions as if we’ve already achieved them.”

Success can be fueled by experiencing the emotions of success before it actually happens.

Brian Tracy said, “Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance.”

 Desire and knowledge shouldn’t dominate human behavior, neither should emotions.

If you are a successful leader, or strive to be successful in leadership, you most certainly will be leading people who are human and have emotions.  Recognize that you can’t separate the humanity from the human and that emotions are equally important and as powerful as desire and knowledge for success.

Allow your team and you, its leader, to experience emotions – we all do anyway.  If you make this an equal part of your plan for success – along with goals and knowledge – success will be accelerated.