Leading with Love
Love and leadership may be two words that you wouldn’t usually put together, however there are good reasons to incorporate love into the way you lead, not in the warm and fuzzy way we feel towards our family or pets but instead, incorporated into a professional field.
Incorporating Love and Leadership
We are all human beings, with feelings, personal lives and issues that we bring along with us. Usually, we can separate problems and worries that are happening at home, and park them until the end of the working day, but the reality is that sometimes these issues can interfere with our work.
As a leader, by incorporating love into the way you lead, with the right balance, your employees will be better equipped to deal with their work expectations at the same time as feeling some compassion as an individual. Showing love in this way illustrates to your team that you not only appreciate their performance at work, but you also show that they matter as a person too.
Ways to Show Love As You Lead
At Learn Love Look Ahead, we see love standing for positivity, seeing strength in others and recognising opportunities in situations, rising above the negatives.
Appreciation
By showing appreciation of achievements and efforts, you will show that your team are valued and respected within the organisation and as individuals.
Encouragement
We are not all on our “A game” all the time. When someone is struggling, sometimes a word of encouragement can be the boost they need to carry on in challenging situations.
Understanding
We all have expectations to live up to in our roles, but if someone is having a particularly hard time, showing understanding within boundaries can help relieve some of the stress that an individual may be experiencing.
Listening
Demonstrate that your team is valued by actively listening to concerns. Pay attention, listen actively, defer judgement, and consciously think, “My job in this moment is to listen.” Think of the line in the famous Spice Girls song “Tell me what you want, what you really really want?” – By listening actively, you are open to really hearing what the other person is saying and understanding what they want to get out of the conversation.
Communication
Open communication within an organisation can help to avoid problems escalating. Remember, your purpose is for the receiver to understand the message, and not just to transmit what you want to say. It is important to ensure that they have understood your message as intended through good communication.
Support
If you are aware of someone in your team who is having a hard time, showing support within boundaries can help that person to feel that they are understood and have been acknowledged in what they are experiencing, which in turn may help them feel better equipped to handle the situation.
Simple steps incorporated into your own leadership style can make all the difference to your team and in turn, you will create a positive and supportive working environment, which will bring out the best in your team as a whole.
