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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.
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What Holds You?
Loving Leaders hold the needs of people each day. And they hold the need to embed Love in all aspects of their work – in purpose, in process, in systems, in structures. They hold loving responsibility to care about these details.
Loving Leader, as you do that work today, pause and remember what holds you, even while you are holding all this.
Say “Yes”
Years ago, when I was in graduate school, Peter Block was teaching our class and asked for four volunteers but didn't say what for. I hesitated and four other people volunteered. Then he said, “Thank you. Now reflect and share with a partner about the choice you just made, and how that is representative of what you always do.”
I was dumbstruck.
What Happens When Things Work Out As Planned?
Sometimes things do work out!! We research, plan, collaborate, work hard, send out prayers or positive energy, and, lo and behold, we achieve our goal!
What a great feeling! What a relief! And what an important step toward our purpose.
What next?
So, What Would Carson Do?
When my eight year old grandson Carson came from Tennessee to stay with us in Washington State for two weeks in July, we committed to be TV and screen free for entertainment for his entire visit.
We wanted to make the most of our time with him. We wanted to give him different experiences that are just not as common for kids today - or for adults for that matter. And, honestly, we wanted to prove it could be done!
We Can’t Always Do the Hard Things. What Then?
Sometimes even with our best efforts as leaders and on our teams, things don’t work out the way we envision. In fact, often they don’t!
If our standard of success is things going exactly as planned, then we would be paralyzed with inaction. We wouldn’t try new things. We wouldn’t tinker and puzzle and bounce ideas. We wouldn’t innovate or learn. We’d be stuck and stagnant. In a climate of threat, fear, and worry about perfection this is exactly what happens.
Remembering You
Sometimes we think we need to show up in grandiose ways, with something profound to say or some big offer. Those have their place and time. But we also give so much encouragement by just being present for each other.
The simple act of saying, “I was thinking of you,” or, “Saw this and thought of you,” or “Love what you shared,” or something similar lets people know they are seen.
When You Are At the Edge…
Life has a way of continually bringing us to our edge. Sometimes it's our personal edge. Sometimes it's our professional edge. Most of us try to avoid spending too much time at the edge where we feel unsafe. But like I said, life consistently takes us back to that precipice of our fear.
And then what?
Need time? Aim for Good Enough
As a recovering perfectionist, it's hard for me to aim for “good enough." Afterall, I love excellence! I've been rewarded my entire life for excellence. I take great pleasure in something being done to a super high standard.
But that comes with the costs of time, energy, and resources. And sometimes it comes at the cost of being overwhelmed and not doing anything at all, paralyzed by perfection and not having enough time to get to that standard. Loving Leader, there's another way.
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