Read. Be inspired. Go love.

Is it really possible to create a way of working based on love not fear? Yes. It’s not only possible. It’s essential. Learn more from this collection of more than 100 posts to inspire and guide you.

Responses to Human-Centered Workplaces
Renée Smith Renée Smith

Responses to Human-Centered Workplaces

Renee shares possible reactions that employees and leaders may have when they hear of a human-centered transformation. She reminds readers that each of these responses is entirely natural and to live into human-centered values that each response should be attended to with care and concern. Read and learn how to engage with a vast array of reactions to love in the workplace.

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Gentle
Renée Smith Renée Smith

Gentle

There it was. “Gentle.” I was surprised, heart-warmed, and convinced all over again that the world is ready for us to bring our full set of human gifts, that the world is longing for and needs us to do that. This drove it home all over again. Here’s what happened….

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Leading with Empathy
Joanne Lee Joanne Lee

Leading with Empathy

Guest Writer, Joanne Lee shares practical steps for incorporating a lens of empathy into your daily professional and personal life. She urges readers to opt for empathy in pursuit of greater well-being.

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The Language of the Heart
Lili Boyanova Hugh Lili Boyanova Hugh

The Language of the Heart

Lili speaks to the importance of our chosen language by sharing a powerful story between her and her son. Lili shows leaders why it's crucial to shift the language of our hearts. She invites leaders to start using new words, new phrases, and new questions so that empathy, vulnerability, and authenticity can be at the root of communication.

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Ask This Question
Renée Smith Renée Smith

Ask This Question

The questions we ask ourselves and others matter. Questions are not neutral but point us in a direction. They cause us to pay attention to some possibilities and to exclude others. In this blog, Renee shares the number one question we should be asking ourselves throughout our careers. From interviews to promotions to recognition to retirement, this question provides a powerful lens for real impact in the world.

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What Pandemic Parenting Taught Me About Loving Leadership
Lili Boyanova Lili Boyanova

What Pandemic Parenting Taught Me About Loving Leadership

Read as Lili Boyanova unpacks the nuances of our love expressed as inner light and the common struggles we share when our behavior doesn’t align with our loving, light values. Through exploring the lens of her son, Alex, Lili shares powerful sentiments and universal truths about what it’s like to navigate the world as we try to share our love, sometimes fail, but find the treasure in the lesson all the same.

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Leaders: You are not alone
Renée Smith Renée Smith

Leaders: You are not alone

These last four weeks I’ve talk to so many Leaders like you who are working valiantly to face this pandemic challenge and who feel utterly alone. Leaders like you who are responding to the latest developments, adapting to restrictions, and trying to keep your organization viable.

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Emotions at work
Renée Smith Renée Smith

Emotions at work

When we experience an action, words, or event, it can bring on bio-chemical and physiological responses that are universal to humans. When we experience a stimulus that is threatening, exciting, hopeful, surprising, worrying, angering, envious, or joyful, our human bodies react consistently.

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Everywhere I go: people want to be human.
Renée Smith Renée Smith

Everywhere I go: people want to be human.

We want more from our work than just a paycheck. We want to be valued. We want to contribute. We want healthy relationships with our colleagues. We want to be ourselves. We want to find meaning. It doesn’t seem like too much to ask. But apparently, it’s hard to come by.

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Everywhere I go: I rideshare
Renée Smith Renée Smith

Everywhere I go: I rideshare

In my research interviews on fear and love in the workplace, people often said their fear experience increased their commitment to NOT leading with fear but instead leading with care, respect, trust, empathy and so on. In other words, their fear experience increased their commitment to never doing that to anyone else and instead leading with love.

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Do I have to say “love”?
Renée Smith Renée Smith

Do I have to say “love”?

Organizations and teams choose the words that resonate for them. Sometimes that word is “love” and sometimes it is a synonym like care, trust, respect, belonging, inclusion, empathy, compassion, or forgiveness, but always it is more human.

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Everywhere I go: in a café at work
Renée Smith Renée Smith

Everywhere I go: in a café at work

When I was consulting to the US Army, I worked under a wonderful General.  He was a humble, wise leader who treated people well. Even though I was just a contractor, he demonstrated that he valued me and my work. He gave me support, opportunities to grow, and recognition when I did well. Shortly after I left, he deployed to Afghanistan. 

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Can we talk?
Renée Smith Renée Smith

Can we talk?

Arguably one of the most difficult issues we face as a nation is race. Our painful, ugly history continues to manifest as pain and ugliness in the present. And our challenges extend beyond racial equity and inclusion to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, socio-economic status, ability.

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Being human-centered
Renée Smith Renée Smith

Being human-centered

When you put humans at the center good things happen. Team members are more loyal, committed, and creative. They are glad to be at work, and they do better work. And customers, Washingtonians, are treated with respect. They receive better value, better services, and a better state to live in. 

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A love story about work: Hayley's leader goes the extra mile
Renée Smith Renée Smith

A love story about work: Hayley's leader goes the extra mile

Hayley started work as an administrative assistant for Dean right out of college. She’d been working for a few weeks in Washington State government and things were going well. She liked the people and the work came easily. She felt happy and confident.

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