What’s Love Got to do with Leadership?
What is the most important attribute of a good leader? While it is difficult to single out one overarching attribute, according to leadership author, Lolly Daskal, “The single most important factor that differentiates a good leader from a great leader is LOVE.” Truly exceptional leaders know how to lead with love. One of the main reasons for this is that love brings out the best in people, no matter the situation.
If you are a leader looking to get the most out of the people you lead, then learn to love them. Here is how you can lead with love.
Lead with Encouragement, Not Criticism
When someone is struggling, give him or her hope by offering encouragement and support. People will make mistakes, as no one is perfect. Rather than criticize, leaders who love take advantage of these moments to teach and train. This makes a huge difference in helping people learn from their mistakes, improve their performance, and succeed.
Show Appreciation
Show love with words or acts of appreciation whenever possible. A “Way to go” email, treating them to lunch, praising them privately or in front of others, or giving them a raise are all ways to let them know you appreciate their hard work. Appreciation is a powerful form of positive reinforcement which results in the desire to repeat the pattern of hard work=reward.
Be Flexible and Empathetic
It is important to set expectations and be prepared to enforce them. However, those who lead with love also show empathy when someone falls short of those expectations. They understand life is unpredictable, everyone has bad days, and the weather answers to no one. Flexibility is key in such situations and where encouragement comes in handy.
Listen
Leaders who love have learned how to truly listen and are open to ideas and suggestions from those they lead. They know when they show willingness to keep growing and learning from those they lead, everyone feels heard and understood.
Teach, don’t Criticize
People will make mistakes, as no one is perfect. Rather than criticize, leaders who love take advantage of these moments to teach and train. This makes a huge difference in helping people learn from their mistakes, allowing them to improve their performance and succeed.
Show You Care
Leading with love means showing you care about their success and what drives them, “what inspires and empowers” them, in the words of Lolly Daskal. Far too many leaders pretend to care. Show that you are genuine and sincere by getting to know those you lead, follow up with anyone who has expressed a difficulty and do what you can to help them professionally, and even in their personal life.
We hope you found this article about Love and Leadership helpful. If you have questions or need expert tax or family office advice that’s refreshingly objective (we never sell investments), please contact us or visit our Family office page or home page www.Groco.com. Unfortunately, we no longer give advice to other tax professionals gratis. Considerately yours, GROCO, GROCO Tax, GROCO Technology, GROCO Advisory Services, GROCO Consulting Services, GROCO Relationship Services, GROCO Consulting/Advisory Services, GROCO Family Office Wealth, and GROCO Family Office Services
To receive our free newsletter, contact us here.
Subscribe our YouTube Channel for more updates.
This transcript was generated by software and may not accurately reflect exactly what was said.
Alan Olsen, is the Host of the American Dreams Show and the Managing Partner of GROCO.com. GROCO is a premier family office and tax advisory firm located in the San Francisco Bay area serving clients all over the world.
Alan L. Olsen, CPA, Wikipedia Bio
Deutsche Being Bank Accused of Tax Fraud By Federal Prosecutors
The U.S. has been increasingly going after foreign financial institutions that try to skimp on taxes. The latest move from the IRS is an aggressive lawsuit against Deutsche Bank, which the federal tax agency claims owes the U.S. somewhere in the neighborhood of $190 million in overdue taxes, penalties and interest. However, if you ask…
Looking to Grow Your Firm? Consider GROCO
There are hundreds of tax and accounting firms all over the country, including right here in the Bay Area. These firms come in all levels of size and expertise. At GROCO, we are always looking to grow our business and we know that many, if not all, companies are looking to do the same. If…
Is Corporate America Getting Away With Too Little Tax?
It’s an argument that’s all too common in the business world: big multi-national companies don’t pay their fair share of taxes. A new study will only serve to add more fuel to the fire, as according to its findings, seven of the 30 biggest companies in the United States reportedly paid more to their CEOs…
Business in New York Being Buried by Heavy Tax Load
New York, New York: It’s the town so nice they named it twice. But when it comes to taxes in one of the world’s greatest states, things aren’t so nice. That’s because New York is one of the worst places to live if you don’t want to pay a lot of taxes. New York has…