Truth can be spoken without stripping someone of worth. – N. Anderson
We are at a precarious time in our country. Leaders are fueling division, and fear is driving far too many conversations. It doesn’t feel normal, it’s unsettling, and sometimes it feels downright scary.
It begs the question, when the world seems to reinforce “us vs. them,” how do we practice Love-led Leadership™?
What Love-led Leadership is and isn’t.
Looking back through history, division tends to grow along with fear. In other words, the more divided we are, the more we fear the “other”. Further, when people spread untrue or harmful information, it’s easy to either fight back with the same anger or step into silence. But neither response helps heal the divide.
In times like this, Love-led Leadership invites us to see things through a different lens:
- Dignity first. Even when people spread division, we don’t dehumanize in return. Truth can be spoken without stripping someone of worth.
- Curiosity over judgment. Asking “Why does that matter so much to you?” opens more doors than “How could you believe that?”
- Compassion at the center. Many harmful narratives are rooted in fear or pain. Compassion steadies our response, so anger doesn’t lead, because when anger leads, division only escalates.
- Truth with kindness. Love-led leaders don’t shy away from honesty. But honesty must be shared with respect. It’s what makes the difference and allows healing to begin.
- Hope as practice. Division does serious damage that can feel impossible to repair. Love is what endures. It may sound “Pollyanna-ish,” but stay with me.
Love-led Leadership™ is not about sitting silently while ugly words or actions spread. It’s also not about yelling louder than the noise or trying to win every argument. I know, easier said than done.
Instead, Love-led Leadership invites us to practice a strength that looks different from force:
- Responsive vs. reactive. In a climate filled with outrage, a calm, grounded presence can feel radical. Staying in your center is not weakness, it’s leadership.
- Compassion vs. anger. Love-led leaders speak truth with compassion. They don’t meet anger with more anger, but they also don’t soft sell their convictions.
- Dignity vs. dehumanization. While others punish and divide, Love-led Leadership recognizes the worth of every human being, even those we disagree with. I know, that’s a tough one.
- Persistence vs. passivity. Choosing love is not the absence of action; it just shows up differently, it’s an intentional action that refuses to join others in fear and hostility.
And remember, practice makes progress. The more we practice, the easier it gets and the greater impact it has.
Why It Matters
We can’t control what others say or do, but we can control how we respond. And if enough of us choose love over fear, connection over contempt, it becomes a ripple effect. Things begin to change. Communities change. The world can change!
Love-led Leadership knows love always wins if we are consistent and persistent in giving it the space to lead.
Here’s to leading with love!