A key to becoming a true leader that James Arthur Ray is constantly sharing with others is having grit. With nearly 40 years of personal experience and research, James Arthur Ray has broken down becoming grittier into the “6 Ground Rules of Grit,” which are:

1. Love (much more than just attraction, fantasy or infatuation.)
2. Commitment to Mastery
3. Purpose
4. Mental Toughness and Emotional Strength
5. Optimism
6. A Growth Mindset

Focusing on the first of these ground rules, James Arthur Ray is here to tell you that true leaders fall in love. While things like love might be categorized as “soft” in today’s business world, James Arthur Ray believes this couldn’t be further from the truth.

“In most cases what we tend to deem as “soft skills” are actually the hardest hitting and most high impact skills of all.” – James Arthur Ray

Love isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when you think about true leadership. But James Arthur Ray teaches that it should be. He’s not talking about the type of love associated with romance, for James Arthur Ray believes that is most often nothing more than lust and infatuation. Rather, the love James Arthur Ray discusses when it comes to achieving greater grit and ultimately true leadership is more like an obsession or adoration.

According to James Arthur Ray, true leaders basically worship the object of their desire. They’re willing to sacrifice their own personal needs and comfort in order to achieve something they deem much greater than themselves.

But when James Arthur Ray takes a step back and looks at the landscape of our society, he sees a severe lack of love that is leading to people living lackluster lives and causing a widespread problem of depression.

The suicide rate in the United States is at an all-time high with a person committing suicide every 16 minutes. James Arthur Ray wants others to know that suicide is currently the third-leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds and second for 24 to 35-year-olds in our country. And what’s just as astonishing is that for every person who takes their own life, there are at least 20 that attempt and fail.

“More people die each year by suicide than by war, crime and terrorism combined. When are we going to wake up and deal with our real issues?” – James Arthur Ray

James Arthur Ray believes that one way to turn around the suicide crisis in our country is to help others find their love. A Gallup poll suggests that 72 percent of people are unhappy and basically miserable in their career. This is turn leads to unhappy and miserable lives.

But helping others find their love—or obsession—can lead to total fulfillment in life and business, and ultimately true leadership.

“Love trumps all; and it’s the most powerful force in the universe.” – James Arthur Ray