Love and Leadership
“What are you, man, if you do not learn love?”
Shawn McDonald’s song, “Simply Nothing” contains this lyric over and over again. It occurred to me as I listened to the song today that we could fill in just about any of our roles for “man,” and gain insight.
It struck me as I filled in the word “leader” that the resulting statement communicates the truth about leadership: LEADERS LOVE.
Sometimes it is incredibly difficult, not unlike parenting with its need to let others try and fail, even fall flat, when it lies within our power to intervene.
Love, after all, is a choice, and a great power rises in us when we choose to love someone, or something.
Who among us is not at her best as a leader when she loves the people she’s leading? Can there be any better way to ensure the best possible outcomes are achieved both individually and corporately?
I submit that there is not.
The best thing about this truth, though, is that it lies 100% within our realm of influence. We choose every day whether or not we love our spouses, our children, our jobs, even the television show we’re watching.
As leaders, we must choose to love our constituents, and we must choose to love the cause for which we partner. If that seems overstated, consider the leaders you admire against that ideal.
The best leaders choose to love.
This would be a great interview question for aspiring leaders…
“Are you be willing to love your followers? Are you willing to the make sacrifices necessary to accompany that love?”
I bet it would predict success. The reactions people would have to the question would be priceless.
And yes, love is always in our choice. That is a very powerful element. In my work with torture victims I think many found solace in this as one last element they could control when it appeared their captors had stripped them of all of their freedoms.
As my mother often reminded me as a teenager, I can always choose to love you even if I do not like your actions. I smile when I think about that.
Stosh, you just keep getting better & better. This particular post struck a chord with me regarding this new role switch. A big part of why I’m so excited is the opportunity to facilitate the communication amongst a team of talented people. I’ll often be the first in contact with a potential client, but I’ll never be the only ‘owner’ of the account.