This study focuses upon CEOs' change-oriented leadership, CEOs' passion, and firm performance. Using survey data collected from 80 CEOs, and 163 followers working closely with the CEO, and archival longitudinal firm performance data (2010–2013), we find support for the presence of change-oriented leadership having a direct effect on firm performance. Furthermore, we find that CEOs with harmonious passion strengthen relationship between change-oriented leadership and firm performance. In contrast, firms with change-oriented CEOs that embody obsessive passion do not benefit from higher firm performance. These findings extend the relationship between change-oriented leadership, firm performance, and the nature of the leader's passion in the context of strategic change leadership. We also discuss the implications of our research for leadership literature.