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When you hear sportscasters talk about athletes who dig deep and make the extra effort that wins the match or the medal, they say “They had a lot of heart!” There is a prevailing myth that managers are supposed to divorce their emotions from a situation and approach things purely rationally.

The simple truth is that leadership is an affair of the heart. There is no integrity and honor without heart. There is no commitment and conviction without heart. There is no hope and faith without heart. Nothing important is ever accomplished unless there is heart. Exemplary leaders excel at improving performance because they pay great attention to the human heart.

Here are four insights to examine in understanding that leadership is an affair of the Heart.

Love Is The Soul of Leadership

Irwin Federeman former CFO & CEO states; “…Conventional wisdom has it that management is not a popularity contest….I contend however, that all things being equal, we will work harder and more effectively for people we like. Said another way, love is the soul of leadership. Love is what sustains people, it is the source of a leaders courage. Frankly leaders are in love. They are in love with leading, in love with the organizations they are connected to, and they love people.

Consultant Rodney Ferris defines love organizationally as a “feeling of caring or deep respect for yourself and others, of valuing and believing in yourself and others, and helping to achieve the best of which everyone is capable. It means finding a sense of purpose, fulfillment and fun in your work while helping others to find these qualities in their work. (How Organizational Love Can Improve Leadership pp.41-51).

Levi Strauss and Company states; Really believe in your heart of hearts that your fundamental purpose, the reason for you being, is to enlarge the lives of others…”

Show Them You Care

It is not enough to be in love, you have to demonstrate your love. The primary way you demonstrate your love is by paying attention to someone. You reach out to others, listen to their words and emotions, be open to their experiences, ask questions, and express a willingness to learn from them.

One of the most significant ways to show others that you care and appreciate their efforts is be out there with them. Walk the halls, meander around the corridors, eat lunch together, and listen to complaints. This makes you human, approachable and more genuine.

Fall In Love With What You Do

Let’s be clear, leadership is tough and demanding work. It is difficult to imagine getting up day after day, putting in the long hours it takes to inspire and encourage others to accomplish extraordinary things without having your heart in it. Loving leading means that you are passionate about values and visions that make a difference. You devote your time to strengthening others and building great teams. You relish the opportunity to participate in tough challenges.

Promote The Positive

Positivity opens us up. The first core truth about positive emotions is that they open our hearts and our minds, making us more receptive ad creative – University of North Carolina Professor Fredrickson.

It is generally understood that a person should have a balance of three positive emotions to every one negative emotion in order to maintain health and balanced living. This is not rocket science, we simply become better more productive people when we are happy. I am aware of the cynics that cry “Get real, this is a tough cruel world, you can’t paint on a fake happy face! The truth of the matter is positives attract and negatives repel. It is the basic law of human relationships.

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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!

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