The most enthusiastic man in a cause is rarely chosen as a leader.
— Arthur Helps
LEADERSHIP
WHAT THIS MEANS
Zeal and authority tend not to go together. The person who feels most strongly is trusted least with the decisions, because intensity looks like poor judgement to everyone who has to live with the outcome, whether or not that is fair. Groups pick the one who can hold several considerations at once, not the one who is most convinced. Passion is the fuel and it is rarely the steering.
If you care deeply about something and keep being passed over, work on showing that you can hear the strongest objection without heat. That is usually the missing evidence rather than commitment.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
When did your eagerness cost you the role you wanted?
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