Leadership, Love and Bosses
I have just read a book called “The Servant, A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership” by John Hunter. In this book Hunter says that true leadership is based on authority and not on power. And authority is the result of a behavior and behavior is a matter of will. Therefore, leadership is a matter of will.He makes an incredible comparison between leadership as a service and the definition of love. (As defined by Saint Paul, (Chorintios XIII)). He says that the characteristics of leadership are the same as the characteristics of love. Love defined as Agape, as a verb, as an action, not love defined as Eros, as an emotion, as a sentiment. Leadership is service to your people; love is what you do for your people. (It is an action.)
Hunter is right but he is missing that leaders should also have a “Vision”, an ability to set and define objectives. And it also misses the capacity to “Motivate and generate commitment” to work for common objectives.
I believe that love (as agape) is not the same as leadership. But the approach is nevertheless very interesting. Love as agape, love as a verb, love as a behavior, as an action…. the sentiments will come later.
I recall Stephen Covey quoting someone who told him that his marriage was falling apart. He asked what he could do about it, and the answer was, “love your wife, go and start loving her again”, (as an action, not as an emotion or a sentiment).
By the way, I read a couple of days ago in La Nación an interview to Regis Debray. Oh! He speaks about “The Boss”. He says, “bosses are needed, if not groups fall into dissolution”, well, I don’t agree with this statement. Back then, when we were lost in the Andes, we didn’t have a unique boss and we managed to survive. He also says “the boss is someone who is loved, but is not allowed to love”. I don’t like this point, bosses should love their folks, if not they are not good bosses. He meanders with the idea of “bosses’ solitude” which is anyway an interesting concept. And he also says: “the boss is the encounter between a personality and a situation.” I like that, it is an interesting idea.
For more, visit www.survivorwalk.blogspot.com
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To love or to care for...
Interesting post. A couple of observations. A life and death crisis situation is somewhat different to the day-to-day grind of working with people. I also believe that that bosses are needed. You can't have 1000 people all running around in a self managed way. Works in small pockets but not across the board.
I care for my team and there are a lot of them. Some I care for deeply but this comes from respecting them and being concerned for their welfare. Care does and can mean love but I think people shy away from the statement you must love your people. Many can accept the word care for. On a personal level I would feel very uncomfortable if my boss went around sprouting that he and we must love our people but care - yes - most certainly.
The Stephen Covey's response was spot between a husband and wife situation even as an action not a sentiment but I wonder if he would make the same statement to someone in a business relationship situaton!!!!
Kate
Thank you Kate for your comments.
Kate, you are right, you cannot go on proclaming love to your subordinates at your office. But you can love them. As an action, not as a verb. And this includes caring for them. This is not new, it is taken from "servant leadership" concepts. Even in Jim Collins "level 5" leaders you find this type of ideas. Leaders are servants, they need to provide the necessary tools to their people, so they can do their work and attain their objectives.
As I said, I believe the servant concept as I understand it may lak "vision, direction, motivation", but anyway, it is an interesting idea. We can learn a lot from it: leaders are obliged to their people, not all the way around. I realize that we have others stakeholders too, but to our people, we have the obligation to give them what is necessary to allow them to work and progress.
I agree, all the confusion is about the word "love". Because I took it as a verb, as an action, not as an emotion.
About Coveys´ situation, you can take it away from a family situation. It is a call for action, to take iniciatives, to be active. To be leader is a tough job, and requieres sacriface and a lot of work. It is not an easy job.
Of course you need a boss. You need a leader, but in ocasions, you don´t have a unique leader, and the leadership functions have to be performed anyway. That happens to groups of peers, and at the limit, every human organization is a group of peers.
Love and leadership - Is 'love' the right word?
I struggle with the word 'love' too, when applied to work, and tend to think you are right, Kate. I wrote an article on it, but have changed my mind a bit about the 'L' word since (just the word, not the intent behind it - 'care', as you say). Brief extract here and link to the article below for more, in case it's useful for anyone interested in this subject:
“I would far rather have a business led by love than by fear”. – Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines
“…Whether it is better to be loved or feared? The answer is that one would like to be both; but because it is difficult to combine them, it is far better to be feared than loved.” – Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
“It might sound slightly bizarre,” says Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager, “but one of the key beliefs for effective leadership is to be madly in love with all the people you are leading.” Well, you are right Ken. It does sound slightly bizarre. For many managers, leadership is the love that dare not speak its name.
Having said that, a surprising number of hard-nosed leaders are unafraid to talk about love as being fundamental to leadership. Rudy Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York, tells us there are three keys to leadership:
1. If you are going to lead, be optimistic. If you're not, you're followers can hardly be expected to be.
2. If you don't love people, do something else.
3. Be absolutely clear what you stand for. (1)
Continues here:
http://www.leadershiparticles.net/Article/Love-and-leadership/7169
Your comment
Phil, thank you very much for your comment. You have been very inspirational, clear and I learned a lot. The Tim Collins testimony is very good. Thank you for sharing it.
Love vs Fear
Thank you Phil.
“I would far rather have a business led by love than by fear”. – Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines
Commonsense about the fear piece. I think people throw words out there without really thinking about the real meaning I think that love is one of them.
I think back to Colin Powell. He cared very much for his troops and their welfare. He felt a deep sense of responsibility when sending them to war knowing some would not return.
I think care is a wonderful word and for me it says it all.
Kate