Leadership & Love

Hello All,

Well, the 2020 election is just as crazy as the rest of 2020 has been! Perhaps we will know an outcome of the presidential race by the end of Friday, or maybe it will be next week. No matter who wins, the next four years will be important and influential – and I hope and actually pray in a positive way. Our country is incredibly divided. We have to find a way to bridge this divide. We have to find ways to talk to each other, to set examples of collaboration and cooperation, to reach out and make changes. We have to find the way to be Americans versus Independents, Republicans and Democrats.

Perhaps that is the reason I began to think of leadership and LOVE. I know, you don’t often to hear those two words together; however, why not? Does it make you uncomfortable? Is it too “soft”? Is it too feminine? Is it just “too much” in the world of business?

So I was intrigued when I came across this article in the October 2020 edition of Nurse Leader. (Hang tight – I am going to write a bit about nursing, but I am also going to talk about other leaders, including sports heroes, that talk about leading with love!) “Making the Case for Love in Leadership” was written by Angela S. Prestia, PhD, RN, NE-BC. She discussed the current conditions – in our government, workplaces and personal lives – of “insensitivity, incivility, bullying, egocentrism and cultural intolerance”. She also discussed strategies currently being deployed to deflect these issues – “healthy work environments, zero tolerance cultures and the importance of creating joy and meaning at work.” I expect many of you are nodding, because that is what you are hearing and doing! Dr. Prestia goes one step more and identifies love as an important leadership strategy.

Dr. Prestia states that leadership love is a “type of emotion fueled by care, compassion and a sense of responsibility to those served.” G. Stebbins stated in “How to Become a Loving Leader (From the Inside Out)” that loving leaders hold their followers “in unconditional positive regard”. The late Herb Kelleher, co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Southwest Airlines, said “A company is stronger if bound by love than by fear.” Retired Vice Admiral of the U.S. Navy and former Navy flyer Charles W. Moore, Jr. “You need to love the people you are responsible for leading.” John Wooden, the University of California basketball coach, believes that love “is not soft…..it is essential”. Pastor Glenn Stewart says “Love is where leadership begins.”

What does love in leadership look like? Dr. Prestia states that leadership love actualized is: “giving people a second chance, listening deeply, reflecting, acknowledging people, assisting in their professional growth, expressing appreciation, expressing gratitude, providing constructive feedback, nurturing and opening your heart.” Michael Stallard, author and speaker, says that “Love inspires performance excellence and resilience. Love pulls together. Love overlooks minor offenses. Love reduces stress.” Thane Bellomo, an organizational development consultant states “I am here to tell you that results are the outcome of love.” And the national guru Brene Brown puts it this way: “We desperately need more leaders who are committed to courageous, wholehearted leadership and who are self aware enough to lead from their hearts, rather than unevolved leaders who lead from hurt and fear.”

I love how Dr. Prestia ends her article:

“Why not see whether loving leadership impacts growth and positive change. That is the beauty of love. It is the only gift that when given away, more is received. Encourage each other to take the leap to a new loving reality. What is there to lose? An outcome of loving environments is harmony and peace. The power to create and live in world peace comes from the power of love. The power to end incivility, bullying, prejudice, workplace violence, and senseless destruction of the human spirit comes from the power of love. The framework for exceptional leadership may just be the rawness of unadulterated love for those we serve.”

Love really does conquer all.

Phyl

P.S. Have  you started your thankful list? I have! November 1st – My wild and wacky family (biological, married, adopted and 4-legged)  and friends (because friends are family you choose with your heart). I always start my list with these incredible people and pets – I am so blessed! November 2nd – love. November 3rd, election day – the incredible brave and strong women who fought to give the generations of women that followed them the right to vote! November 4th – no more political ads!!! November 5th – laughter and joy. November 6th – birthday cake!