11:11 Waves Blog 7: Love

Every Monday, I share 1 question for you to contemplate, 1 idea from me, 1 quote from others, and 1 inspiration for us.

Today’s topic is: Love.

Love is undoubtedly the most powerful emotion that we have available. Love creates, transforms, uplifts, supports, includes and empowers. With Valentine’s Day approaching, this week’s blog is an invitation to engage in a whole-heart experiment around the possibilities of framing leadership as an act of love.

One Question for you

This week, I invite you to reflect on the question below throughout the day whenever you need to make a decision and then try to act upon the answer or intuition you receive:

Discuss the question here.

One Idea from me

In addition, below I am sharing a framework I created called “AMOR” (love in Latin) that contains four ideas on how you can practice “leadership as an act of love” at work:

A - Appreciation: Appreciation is a key to any relationship. A simple compliment can make someone’s day, start or strengthen a relationship, or just make the world a better, kinder place. According to a recent study from the Social Phycology Bulletin, we have the power to literally make another person glow through appreciation. Check out this article containing nine little phrases you can say to instantly brighten someone’s day. Who are you thankful for? How will you share your appreciation with them this week?

M - Motivation: This week, I invite you to find out what your peers, team members or leaders want. Ask them: What matters deeply to them? What motivates them to get up in the morning and go to work? What are they leading for? Learning about people’s “why” can increase your understanding of them as human beings. Connecting with what they care about helps you to build bigger relationships, stronger engagement and identify inner drivers that are more likely to inspire great performance.

O - Offer: Loving, empathetic and compassionate communication is about being intentional about your words-choice in conversations and imagining how the words you speak may be received by and impact those who hear them. Marshall Rosenberg says: “As we learn to speak from the heart, we are changing the habits of a lifetime.” This week, I invite you to pause consider, choose and, if necessary, rephrase your words more carefully when you are having conversations with others. What love-filled words can you offer this week in your conversations?

R - Reciprocity: Reciprocal leadership focuses on the relational nature of work and collaboration by emphasizing shared values, focusing on mutual goals and visions and practicing authenticity and generosity. How can you practice your own version of leadership reciprocity this week?

One Quote from others

“Love is not emotional bash; it is not empty sentimentalism. It is the active outpouring of one’s whole being into the being of another”. Martin Luther King Jr.

One Inspiration for us

Enjoy one of my favourite love songs called 임이오는소리 Imi Oneun Sori (The Footsteps of My Dear Love) by Gain & Minseo.