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GOOD LEADERSHIP IS LOVE
This
is my commandment, that you love one another as
I have loved you.
—John 15:12
Not a
single business school in the U.S. offers a course
in love. And while business school curriculums
do list a variety of leadership studies, the subject
of love is not discussed. Yet Jesus, the greatest
leader ever, advocated that we should love each
other. These were not idle words--Jesus commanded
it. This was his last command before ascending
to heaven.
Rarely is love a topic of discussion in business
circles, especially among Fortune 500 companies.
Over the years, I attended many leadership seminars,
and not once do I recall the subject of love on
a program. Admittedly, railroad and overnight
freight delivery managers are macho guys; certainly
they're not what you'd call warm and cuddly. Just
the same, good leadership principles apply to
all fields, whether you're managing day-care providers
or NFL football players.
The first letter of John in 1 John 4:7-12 tells
us to love each other because love comes from
God. Those who do not love, do not know God, whose
love was revealed to us when he sent his son into
this world to be the atoning sacrifice for our
sins. Since God loved us so much, we also ought
to love one another. And while no one has ever
seen God, if we love one another, he lives through
us and his love is perfected in us. This scripture
lets us know that we are put on this earth to
love one another. My love for my fellow man isn't
confined to my immediate family. Knowing that
God is in me, I have an unlimited supply of love.
So great is this supply that I can love everywhere,
including the workplace.
I don't try to hide my love at WWT. I love our
employees, our vendors, and our customers. I confess
I don't go around blurting out to people how much
I love them--not that anything's wrong with that.
However, many people in today's society aren't
ready to hear it said out loud. So instead, I
declare my love for them through my actions. I
am here to serve them, and they know it. Their
needs come first, before mine. This explains why
I made sure my employees never missed a paycheck
when we had severe cash flow problems, even though
I had to skip a few of my own.
I express my love by showing my people respect--for
instance, by my willingness to listen to them.
I demonstrate how much they mean to me by inviting
them to share my vision and my dreams. I provide
opportunities for advancement. I display my care
for them by making sure our company stands for
quality and integrity in every aspect of our business.
I value the company's reputation, understanding
that each of their reputations is on the line
with mine. These actions express my love for our
people.
The above are intangibles, but there are also
many tangible expressions of love at WWT. We have
a wonderful health-care plan for our employees
and their families, 90 percent of which is paid
for by the company. And since we are concerned
about their future after they retire, for the
past six years the company has matched--dollar
for dollar--the money employees put into their
401(k) plans. Likewise, our compensation plan
is set up to reward their contribution to the
company's success.
We treat our people as though they are family,
and we treat their families like family, too.
This was our motivation to extend exceptional
health-care benefits to their families. Additionally,
throughout the year, we have family-oriented events
including barbecues and parties. Our suites for
professional baseball, football, and hockey games
are always filled with our people and their family
members. And we always feed them well at these
events. When we treat them to a good time, we
do it first-class. That's because we think they
deserve the best we can give them.
A good leader demonstrates his love for his people
through his fairness in his decision making. This
is illustrated in one of my favorite biblical
stories, 1 Kings 3:17-27. This scripture gives
an accounting of how King Solomon judiciously
handled a delicate situation when two women went
to him to solve a dispute. The two women lived
in the same house and both had claimed giving
birth to a son. One infant died at childbirth;
and now each mother claimed the surviving child
was hers. After King Solomon heard each woman
insist that she was the rightful mother, he called
to a servant to bring his sword to him. He then
said, “Divide the living boy in two; then
give half to one, and half to the other.”
Immediately, one of the women cried out, “Please,
my lord, give her the living boy, do not kill
him.” The other said, “It shall be
neither mine or yours; divide it.” With
this demonstration, the king said, “Give
the baby to the first woman. She is the mother.”
Like King Solomon, there are times when a good
leader must select one individual over another
to promote. In such cases, diplomacy prevents
bitterness. This is akin to a parent who is in
the awkward circumstance of having to favor one
child over another: a mother must decide which
child will receive a one-of-a-kind family heirloom;
a father of two has only one extra ticket for
a football game, and so on. In all such cases,
a good leader, or a good parent, must act so that
everyone's dignity is preserved.
In Galatians 5:6, it is written, “The only
thing that counts is faith working through love.”
How true. Faith is based on love. My people know
I put them first. From where I stand, their best
interests come before everything else, including
my own. They know I am there for them and I do
everything I possibly can for their benefit. Serving
them is my number-one priority. I commit myself
to keep their careers intact, safe, and secure.
When you do this for people, they respond by being
loyal, caring employees. Who says love doesn't
belong in the workplace? I know it does. I've
been blessed by being able to express love to
my people--in many ways--and it is being returned
to me in kind.
(Click
here to view this chapter in PDF.)
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