What Does Love-centered Leadership Look Like?

I talked about agape love in my last posting and described it as holding someone in high regard, selfless or sacrificial in nature. Even if you bought into the concept you might be wondering how one would demonstrate this agape love in a meaningful way. If you have been to a Christian wedding you have probably heard an explanation of what agape love is. There is a passage in the Christian Bible from 1st Corinthians chapter 13 that is very often read as part of the marriage ceremony. It is often referred to as the “love chapter” and if I understand it, the love (charity in some translations) is this thing we call agape. I am going to alter it a bit, but within the passage I am describing, an explanation of this love is offered and instead of using the word love I am replacing it with the word leadership: “leadership is patient, leadership is kind, it is not envious, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Leadership does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.” Wow, can you imagine anybody who could live up to this standard? Each of the attributes describing this thing we call agape love should be goals for any leader and if you thought about working for someone who lived a life that could be described with those words you can imagine your response to them. If you were able to live up to these words, can you imagine what your team or your client’s response might be to you?