Still Making a Case

As I mentioned in my last post, if this is not your natural style it may be difficult to embrace; therefore it seems to me that the benefits of this style of leadership must be truly compelling if we are to make a significant attempt at living the love-centered concepts I will roll out in subsequent posts. Before I discuss what a love-centered leadership style can do for you, let me describe my overall theory of leadership. I was going to begin with a succinct and pithy definition; however it is easier to describe then to define. We know it when we see it. Search Google on leadership and you will be overrun with data and definitions and characteristics and traits etc, which will probably serve to confirm what you already believe. We can measure leadership capability by one’s ability to create followership. Will people follow you as you seek to guide them to a successful outcome? Additionally, can your team’s effort produce that outcome within the guidelines your customer has established related to scope, schedule and budget? I contend that leadership success will rise or fall based upon your ability to establish the right structure, introduce and maintain team accountability and create a culture of love (agape) and respect. Structure, accountability and love/respect are the foundation to great teams, great execution and effective leaders. Love-centered leadership focuses on the third leg of the leadership stool (love/respect) and becomes your focus only after you have established the structure and systems of accountability and yet while it may come last chronologically it becomes the linchpin for overall team success. Your willingness to embrace the love-centered approach to leadership will take you from positional power to personal power and that is the difference between a team that is compliant and one that is truly committed. Using your position to gain compliance can produce short-term success. Developing your personal power and influence takes time and thoughtful effort but in the long run it will produce more sustainable results. Remember, being a love-centered leader is a component of effective leadership just as structure and accountability are. Love without structure and accountability cannot be nearly as effective. By the same token structure and accountability alone will not fully utilize all that your team has to offer. Love produces commitment, removes fear and unleashes individual initiative and creativity, thus giving you all that your team has to offer. Love is good for you, good for your team and good for the organization.