You don’t lose your humanity just because someone else forgot theirs.          – N. Anderson

There’s a lot happening right now. A lot. Division and anger are everywhere. Safety feels like a luxury. And for many people, leadership feels more confusing than ever. As we look to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King, I’m hopeful that this message encourages us to embody the courageous, love-rooted leadership he modeled during his all too short life.

When I talk about Love-Led Leadership®, one of the most common responses I get is:

“So… does that mean we’re just supposed to love everyone and accept things the way they are?”

Actually, quite the opposite. Because apathy is not love.

At its core, Love-Led Leadership is about how we choose to show up in life, at work, at home, and in our communities and especially when things feel deeply divided.

Some assume Love-Led Leadership means naïve optimism, passive acceptance, or even silence in the face of destruction. But leading with love doesn’t ask you to ignore reality.  In fact, Love-Led Leaders are committed to:

• Naming what is wrong
• Acknowledging who is being impacted
• Speaking truth without turning people into enemies

You see, leading with love doesn’t ask us to pretend everything is fine. It asks us to stay connected and human while facing what is not.

The Hard Work

When times are uncertain, fear pulls us toward extremes such as outrage, contempt, and withdrawal. These reactions are human and certainly understandable. But they are also exhausting.

Love-Led Leadership is the discipline of staying steady when everything around us is not. It’s the deep breath taken before reacting. It’s noticing when anger turns into dehumanization. It’s resisting the urge to reduce people to labels, even when disagreement is real and painful.

Not because we agree, but because we notice when love has left the conversation.

Love with Boundaries Is Still Love

Another misconception:
That love means laying down in the face of conflict. It doesn’t.

Love-led leadership holds compassion and boundaries at the same time.

How?

• Care without approving.
• Disagreeing without demeaning.
• Setting limits without losing integrity.

Love-Led Leadership doesn’t stay silent to keep the peace. It protects dignity, even in disagreement.

Why Love-Led Leadership Matters

The way we lead during divided times shapes what comes next.

• If we lead from fear, we create more fear.
• If we lead from contempt, we deepen separation.
• If we lead from love, grounded, clear, courageous, we can protect trust and help repair our shared humanity.

Love-Led Leadership isn’t about being nice. It’s about being steady, committed.

And in times like these, steadying ourselves may be the most powerful leadership act of all.

Here’s to leading with love,

Nicki