Lead with Love
A Note from the effort expert
Is there room for love in leadership?
If you work with people, not only is there room for love, it’s a requirement. Twenty-first century leadership is flushed with terms that remind us of love’s place in leadership: trust, vulnerability, emotional intelligence, kindness, care-frontation, appreciation, engagement, gratitude, values, authenticity, and service (to name a few). As human beings, we all have a need and desire to connect, to be in relationship with others - to belong.
As we close out this month’s book read, Great Leaders Have No Rules, Kevin Kruse encourages us to toss out our preconceived notions about leadership, including the well-worn ideal that leadership is only about the bottom line. Showing compassion and care for those you lead and influence is an investment that will yield long-term dividends. There is, however, one rule you should consider embracing, leaders: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” (Theodore Roosevelt). Choose to bring your humanity into your leadership and prepare to receive the same in return!
— Chris Smith
Quote for Growth
“The best-kept secret of successful leaders is love: staying in love with leading, with the people who do the work. Leadership is not an affair of the head. Leadership is an affair of the heart.”