Servant Leadership and Love

Leadership with Love

Leaders that lead with love are able to lead with understanding, kindness, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion. It takes hold when a boss begins to regard his troops as hired hearts rather than paid hands. Love fosters an environment in which respect, decency, and trust can flourish. It is appealing in the sense that it appeals to the human spirit and speaks directly to its adherents (Patterson, 2010). When a leader presents himself to his supporters as someone who needs to be heard and understood, and begs those who disagree with him not to make him wrong, he is acting with love. He reminds his followers to look for his benevolent intentions, acknowledge his achievements and to tell him the truth with compassion (Patterson, 2010). That way, the followers respond with love for their work, with a high emotional engagement as well as with enthusiasm.

Moral Love in Servant Leadership

Moral love in servant leadership allows the leader to be guided by the golden rule that requires a leader to do unto others the same way he would want them to unto him (Patterson, 2010). Besides, the Platinum rule where the leader should do to others as they want him to do unto him is applicable in leadership. Both rules help the leader in recognizing his followers as full individuals rather than hired hands. A true leader builds everyone up except for himself. His goal is to grow less and less as his followers grow more and more (Patterson, 2010). Servant leaders love their followers and want what is best for them. He brings the best out of them no matter how hard it is. Being a servant leader means being brave enough to love the unlovable. He considers everyone as a worthy human being deserving respect and love. Conclusively, only the servant leaders are brave enough to change the world.

References

Patterson, K. (2010). Servant leadership and love. In Servant Leadership (pp. 67-76). Palgrave Macmillan UK.