Passionate leaders are making their mark and changing the world. Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Pharrell Williams, Richard Branson, the list goes on. They make things happen. They think big. They inspire others. They are my mentors.

Before they got where they are now, people thought they were crazy, or arrogant, or weird. They didn’t fit. During an interview with Pharrell Williams on a radio one of the listeners called and said that he went with Pharrell to the same school at Virginia Beach and he remembered how annoying Pharrell was when he was constantly playing drums. “I’m glad you did,” he said now.

So how all these leaders do what they do. Passion is key.

Here are the 16 beliefs of highly passionate people:

1. We are energetic and curious

For passionate leaders, every problem is an opportunity to learn something new. They are easily intrigued, and excited when they can ask questions and study something they’ve never learnt before.

2. We love life and actively craft it to create happiness and reach our dreams

Passionate leaders admire the gift of life and take an active approach in making their mark.

3. We know that dreams don’t work unless we do

Leaders with passion understand that they need to do things to see the change they want to see.

4. We would rather regret the things we have done than the things we haven’t done

Passionate leaders don’t take a chance and wait. They know there is nothing worse than saying afterwards, “I wish I could have …”

5. Our enthusiasm can move the world when we do the things we love

Successful leaders know that when they truly believe in something they speak with passion and enthusiasm, and this impacts others.

6. The universe opens the doors when we follow our desires

Passionate leaders are not afraid to be open about their desires. When they share their dreams it’s infectious, and the world takes it as fact.

7. We don’t allow waiting around to become habits

Passionate people don’t wait. They do.

8. We infuse our life with actions.

Every time you see a success story, it is because one passionate person had the courage to take action. The earlier you start, the earlier you will reach your dreams.

9. We make the time to create the life we want

Steve Jobs had 24 hours a day. Oprah and Warren Buffet have 24 hours a day. We all have the same amount of time so stop procrastinating and focus on what matters. Passionate people do.

10. We make our dreams happen

Passionate leaders don’t just dream and say they have a big dream. They believe, and then take action to make their biggest and craziest ideas happen.

11. We create our own future

Passionate leaders know they are the only ones responsible for their own destiny.

12. Nothing is worth achieving if we aren’t happy

Passionate people always remember that money is not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to be happy. They don’t need to be on the front cover of a popular magazine or ranked on a list of the richest business people. They could simply own a small cottage in the mountains, or work as a fisherman in a Mexican village, and that could be just perfect.

13. We set our sights high

Passionate people think big. They raise their standards, and the universe meets them there. The sky is the limit.

14. We expect the most magnificent things to happen

Passionate leaders have no one to tell them that “Yes, this is guaranteed to work out”, but they have unquenchable optimism that allows them to believe that the most magnificent things will happen.

15. It’s never too late to set another goal

Passionate leaders know that not every idea will work. But that doesn’t stop them from trying – they know that if this idea doesn’t work, they are still one step closer to reaching their dream, and they move on to the next idea.

16. It’s never too late to dream a new dream

Passionate leaders don’t get discouraged if things don’t work out the way they expected. They simply start dreaming a new dream.

All quotes and thoughts come from Make Your Mark notebook designed to promote 6 leadership traits: passion, creativity, innovation, confidence, determination and kindness. Every page of the notebook has been infused with quotes, thoughts and assignments to stimulate a new way of thinking.

The notebook can be purchased from the Leaders in Heels online store.