What does love mean to you?
I have been struck this week by the stories of people who have lost a family member. They speak of kindness, care, consistency and connection. That you don’t realise what you have until it’s gone.
It has made me reflect on myself and who I am being in life, particularly as a father.
It’s hard to get the balance right between stretching kids to be their best and loving them for who they are. My belief is that we should always be striving for both. But, like a plane flying to its destination, most of the time we’re off-course.
There are parallels here with executive development. Organisations need to create environments in which leaders feel supported and understood but challenged at the same time. And comfortable with discomfort as a precursor to growth.
Interestingly, the research indicates that moments of shared emotion between people – like love – accelerates engagement and followership. A shared giggle – or a shed tear – can be worth months of logical planning, reliable delivery and intellectual conversation.
