Passion

Passion is that elusive quality that hovers between enthusiasm and obsession, adds richness and excitement to a task, and provides the momentum to keep going even in the face of great obstacles. Whereas it fires enthusiasm and provides the energy to persevere in the face of weariness, passion alone is not sufficient to achieve success, and it can have a dark side.

We sense intuitively that passionate entrepreneurs do better than their less passionate counterparts. Apple's Steve Jobs, Virgin Atlantic's Richard Branson, and Ben & Jerry's Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are modern role models of passionate entrepreneurs. Passion involves intense positive and [Page 370]palpable feelings associated with a venture or activity. Passionate entrepreneurs seem to have a real liking for what they do, which makes ...