LEADING WITH LOVE: CREATING AN UNPARALLELED WORK ENVIRONMENT

Yesterday there was another article in The Globe and Mail about on work/life balance (or in the case of this article, they called it rebalancing). I have written about this topic before myself (Is Work/Life Balance Really an Oxymoron), however based on recent conversations that I've had with significantly overworked individuals I feel compelled to address this again.

The article in the Globe says a study of 25K professionals found that 40% reported high levels of overload, both at work and home. I don't know if the other 60% have somehow discovered the secret sauce or feel that perhaps they deem it a weakness to complain. Personally, with all the folk that I come in contact with I would suggest that the number is much higher. 

During the economic downturn, many employers cut back on staff and many of the staff were left doing the job of two or sometimes three. And because there was always a threat that they could lose their job, these people, kept their heads down and didn't complain, because, well, there weren't a lot of options in the marketplace at that time.

The problem is some employers haven't gotten the memo, that a) the economy is recovering and b) people don't want to sacrifice their "non-work" life and c) there is growing evidence that a happy workforce is more productive, which effects the bottom-line positively.

I have for many years been an advocate of the leadership philosophies of Lance Secretan. I have read all his books and have taken some of his workshops. His belief is that corporations should inspire the soul of each and every person that they encounter and create a loving environment. And although some may be uncomfortable with the word "love" in the corporate sense, just think about how we could positively transform organizations and inevitably the world, if we used "love" as the frontrunner in all of our encounters. 

The reason that I bring Lance up in this discussion about work/life is because he has developed Spirit@Work cards and the other day, after having a lengthy discussion with a friend about how she was expected to put in continuously 80 to 90 hours a week, with limited thanks and no additional compensation, I happened to pull the card "Integration" and this is what the explanation of this card is.

We hear much about the need to achieve greater balance in our lives. 

But it isn't balance we need. The very notion of balance infers that there are two solitudes to choose from -- work and life. What we are yearning for today is not balance between work and life, but a complete seamlessness of the two

 -- not balance, but integration.

When I read this, I felt like I had an epiphany, because I personally have always talked about work/life balance, but had never considered the holistic aspect of it. As a leader, I treated my teams with respect, care and yes, love. I guess that has been a revelation to me lately. And when I talk about teams, I think about all the stakeholders that make a corporation run. When I've said in the past about leadership being about the Golden Rule "Do unto others, as you would have done unto you," well, who doesn't want to be loved? 

Have I been perfect in trying to live this?Absolutely not. Did I embrace this approach earlier in my career? I thought I was, but in reality, I was still learning aspects of leadership, often by trial and error. I did however always do my best, and over the years I developed teams that were second to none and many folk who worked with me (I always hated the phrasing of "worked for me") have become life-long friends.

So to my readers who find themselves being overworked, under-appreciated, and underpaid I counsel you to start planning your exit. But first approach your boss with an open and honest discussion and indicate what you need and talk about integration. Unfortunately my experience had been that a person who believes that treating people this way is OK, will likely not change and they are not a leader, but an egoist. But at least you've given it a try.

So when you are at work today, think about love, not in the "huggy-kissy" way, but think about the feeling that it gives you, the empowerment that you feel, the joy in your every action and try to approach even one interaction today with love. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

PS: I also recommend reading the book "Leading with Luv" by Ken Blanchard and Colleen Barrett, which is the amazing story of Southwest Airlines and how they actually showed how this approach does positively affect the bottom-line.