Introduction: Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World by John Hope Bryant
Although Love Leadership is a short book, it still has a lot of repetition. It could have been even shorter. Despite that, I still liked the book. The content made me think about things that I usually wouldn't think about. I know some leaders instill fear in others. But it never occurred to me that love would be the opposite of that.
One of the old styles of leadership is coercion and intimidation. That style didn’t work then, and it certainly doesn’t work now. You’ll never get the best from people using those methods. Love leadership is the opposite of leading with fear. So, there are two ways to lead, through love and through fear.
“In the twenty-first century, trust must be earned by the leader before loyalty is conveyed by the people. It is in crises that people look to their leaders to determine if they are authentic and follow their True North….Love leaders understand at a deeper level how to bring out the best in people and empower them to perform at far higher levels of performance than anyone believes is possible….
Through love leadership, people will give fully—mind, body, heart, and spirit—to your organization in order to accomplish challenging goals, rather than just doing the minimum required of them. This is the way twenty-first-century leaders empower people and achieve peak performance.” Bill George
I’m not sure if it’s me lacking knowledge, but I’d never heard of love leadership until I saw the book, Love Leadership by John Hope Bryant. I’ve been exploring what it means to be a great leader, so I’ve been reading many books on leadership. I’ve read a few great books on the topic, but a few didn’t have much to contribute to my understanding of what it means to be a great leader.
Have you read?
Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager, Book Summary
Summary of Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World by John Hope Bryant
Are you willing and able to respond to what is needed in any situation? That’s what leadership is about.
Definition of Love Leadership
Love leadership is about treating others the way you’d like to be treated. The best leaders recognize that being vulnerable is not a weakness, but a strength.
“The best way to get ahead is to figure out what you have to give to a world seemingly obsessed with only one question: What do I get? Love leadership recognizes that you want to do well in life, but it also suggests that the best way to do well and to achieve true wealth over the long term is to do good. I’ve learned that you’ll never go bad doing good, and you’ll never be wrong doing right.”
Laws of Love Leadership
- Loss creates leaders.
- Fear fails.
- Love makes money.
- Vulnerability is power.
- Giving is getting.
Loss Creates Leaders:
When you suffer losses in life, it helps you to focus on what’s important. And when you lose big, it helps you to be enterprising. When you hit rock bottom, you realize that ‘No’ in the context of prospecting, sometimes means not right now. Life is not about amassing great wealth, it’s about being a good steward and making better decisions with the financial resources you have.
Fear Fails:
Being fearful doesn’t work. Love survives long after fear dies, so why be fearful? Fear lies behind ego and greed. When you’re fearful, it prevents you from being innovative and creative. And you don’t take responsible risks that can move you forward leaps and bounds. You’ll never achieve anything meaningful in your life.
Fear-based leadership tactics include the following:
“Using aggressive language, tone, and eye contact.
Criticizing unfairly.
Blaming, without offering reasonable recourse.
Applying rules inconsistently.
Stealing credit.
Making unreasonable demands.
Issuing threats, insults, and accusations.
Denying accomplishments.
Excluding others from opportunities.
Assigning pointless tasks.
Personalizing problems.
Breaching confidentiality.
Spreading rumors.”
Love leaders listen, admit when they’re wrong, never blame others, and they don’t look for short-term fixes.
Love Makes Money
Do well by doing good. You need a larger purpose and quick thinking about how to make a fast buck. Create long-term relationships based on genuinely caring for others by doing good. Take the long view. Think about others more than you think about yourself. Real relationships require real investment. Relationships go beyond a transaction. How can you solve a meaningful problem? Learn to lead with love.
Vulnerability is Power
Integrity and reputation matters. Spend time building integrity, credibility, and trust. Your stakeholders need your transparency, so over-communicate if necessary. Be honest about what’s going on, and it’s necessary to make solid decisions quickly. Additionally, be clear, open, and accountable. Admit your weaknesses and mistakes. Being vulnerable can be your superpower.
Giving is Getting
Don’t take the easy route. When making decisions, think how they will impact others. The more you give, the more you get. Be a good steward of the resources you’ve been entrusted with. Make a long-term commitment to serving your stakeholders — employees, partners, vendors, customers. Learn to serve without expecting anything in return.
Bryant talks about a “special sauce”, which is a combination of passion, authenticity, purpose, and servant leadership. The way you treat your employees demonstrates how you’ll likely treat others. Be the change you want to see in the world. What are things you can do to help others do their jobs?
Conclusion: Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World by John Hope Bryant
With the rapid pace of change, there is a need for love leadership. The global pandemic has forced people to think about what’s important in life. Employees are no longer willing to accept certain kinds of behavior. Fear leadership is being rejected. There is no place for greed, laziness, and selfishness. You cannot think about how to make a quick buck. You have to think about how your actions will likely impact others.
What are your thoughts on leading with love, instead of fear? Is this something you could do?
Next Steps
- Buy and Read Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World by John Hope Bryant
- Join the Art of Learning Membership Site
If you want access to Bookish Note Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World by John Hope Bryant, which has more information than the above summary, please consider joining my membership site, the Art of Learning.
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