Love is the most powerful force in the world, and yet we hardly ever use it in our workplace or when discussing leadership. We feel love is a soft emotion applicable at home, with our friends and personal relationships. In a competitive and dynamic world, love has no real role in our leadership style. This unfortunately is not having understood love at all.
Machines can be managed. People need to be led. And the one thing a human responds to is love. When we lead with love, we acquire a distinctiveness in our style.
We lead from an inner security. It is insecure leaders who need to instil fear to get things from their team.
We empower our teams, not control them. Of course we have reviews and keep a watch on what’s going on, but we don’t micro-manage them. And we develop those who work with us just as a parent aims to bring out the best in a child.
We care for people, not just profits. We recognise profits as the means. We recognise people as our purpose.
We work with a spirit of service, to give joy and happiness to those who work with us – our customers, suppliers, colleagues and society. We don’t just create products, processes and services. We create happy experiences for people.
We build a culture of joy. Our workplaces are not toxic with negativity, anger and hostility. We breed excellence, not competition. We learn from mistakes and love the journey rather than finding someone to blame.
And when we make policies, the underlying paradigm is care. We decide putting people at the centre of our discussions and decisions.
And just as someone in love is always enthusiastic, we carry that enthusiasm and inspiration with us. And the world marvels at our organisation being creative, innovative and successful, trying to copy what we do but failing to see the spirit of love that is truly the driving force.
Love is all pervading. It gives us the feeling of limitlessness. When we lead with love, we think big and are able to give a large enough and inspiring enough vision to ourselves and others.
The most powerful force in the world resides in us. The biggest mistake we can make is having the fear to Lead With Love.
( Picture – Chikoo fruits growing in our garden )
Thank you Vivek, this new year we need to remind ourselves of LOVE and what is important. Very thoughtful and inspiring post.
Glad you enjoyed it Anissa…
So very true… “Fear to lead with love. “
Nilesh I have found that culture is of strategic importance, not just a good to have. And the paradigm of care from the leadership has helped build strong roots, translating into customer loyalty, team ownership and several other positives.
There is a book to be written on building a culture on love/care in the workplace and you might need to be the author! Completely agree with your point here Vivek. Professionalism should not mark the death knell of the outworking of love in a workspace, but rather the codifying of how it can be nurtured without abuse. As Anissa says above this is a vital message today, when the knife is falling in businesses all across the world; those who build and do it with love are vital to the health of the future organisation you are keeping.
Vivek,
It’s the only way to lead that leaves the leader more energised at the end of the day than the start. Ha big said that leading with love doesn’t have to mean suffering fools gladly . It helps one to evolve as a human and as a Leader/ manager/ biz person as surely we are happier because if it.
Martin Luther King summed up love and power with this beautiful quote as you well know.
“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”
Martin Luther King Jr