What do the world’s most admired, effective, & fulfilled leaders have that others don’t?
LOVE.
No, not the romantic kind. This love won’t get you in trouble with Human Resources.
I’m talking about the kind of love where you genuinely care about the success and well-being of others—your family, your employees, your partners, your customers.
Love and the Bottom Line
You can tell when a company has a culture of love. Flown lately? If you flew Southwest, you probably felt it. If you called a customer service rep at Zappos, you probably felt it.
Can you get rich without love? Sure. There are no shortage of loveless leaders and companies who treat employees and customers as means to profit. And they spend millions of wasted dollars and energy on lawsuits, PR, and high employee turnover.
Without love, you’re missing a key strategic variable because:
(STRATEGY + EXECUTION) (LOVE) = BRILLIANT RESULTS
When every other airline began charging for luggage, Southwest launched its Bags Fly Free campaign.
“We are convinced that not charging for bags wins us more customers, and therefore more revenue and more profits, as compared to doing what everybody else does, which customers universally hate. Charging for bags goes against everything we stand for.” Gary Kelly, SWA
According to Kelly, Southwest has enjoyed a 1 percent share shift since other airlines began charging bag fees. It brought an additional $1 billion to Southwest when bag fees were the only significant change in the industry, he says.
A company is stronger if it is bound by love rather than by fear.
Herb Kelleher
“Businesses often forget about the culture, and ultimately, they suffer for it because you can’t deliver good service from unhappy employees.”
Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO
(Point of interest, Hsieh lasted 5 months at his first employer, Oracle, before deciding it wasn’t for him)
As Jack Canfield says, “Success leaves trails” so begin by learning what great leaders do, then emulate. Here are some great places to start.
- Delivering Happiness, Tony Hsieh
- Lead with Luv, A conversation between Herb Kelleher and Ken Blanchard.
- Love is the Killer App, Tim Sanders
Begin Today
Perhaps the greatest gift you can give someone is to listen with curiosity and focused, loving attention. Instead of trying to fix or correct, just listen. Instead of constantly looking at your phone or monitor, give them your full attention. When you feel like interrupting, close your mouth and take a breath. When they pause, ask “what else?”
Love and Politics
Who else thinks we could use a little more genuine love from our politicians? As in business, politicians can choose how they attempt to inspire action (i.e. votes and money). Sadly, leaders who demonstrate authentic love and concern for all citizenry are too rare.
If you liked (or loved) this post, please comment. Also, please tell us about your legendary leader. What did they do that made you feel the love?
Conversations for Brilliance
