5 Bona Fide Statements That Express Your Love as a Leader

In the leadership space, potentials are honed to be cutthroat and competitive. It’s as if you have to be a mean, rigid person in order to succeed as an owner, entrepreneur, manager or supervisor.

But in leadership, love shouldn’t be an alien idea. In fact, there are countless ways that a leader can express love to his followers, whatever the setting may be. We’ve trimmed it down to five for brevity’s sake.

#1 – You are appreciated.

Studies of the workplace throughout the years have shown that the most prevalent reason for high attrition rate is the lack of appreciation or recognition in the workplace. So imagine what a simple statement like “I appreciate you” or “You are an important part of this organization” can work wonders for an employee’s confidence and motivation to work.

A senior manager said to one of his supervisors that he was the the heart and soul of his team. This resulted to increased productivity and efficiency, mainly because the supervisor felt that his efforts amounted to something.

Appreciation can also be shown through during the performance feedback period. As a supervisor, don’t be stingy with giving out praise, especially if the employee being rated really deserves it.

#2 – You are respected.

When an employee enters the workplace, he is wearing his hat as a professional. Whatever his personal circumstance may be, he sets those aside in order to perform well at his job.

This is why showing respect to your subordinates is such an important element to encouraging them in the workplace. Respect is common sense and should be directed towards someone no matter what his rank is. The amount of respect you show a person shouldn’t be dependent on his rank or title. Whether he is the President of the company or the lady who serves coffee at the cafeteria, the same level of respect for human dignity and professional courtesy must be given at all times.

#3 – Your commitment is inspiring.

Nothing shows love more than commitment. And the fact that your employees show that high level of commitment means that you should recognize that and give them due credit for it.

Express your sincerest thanks for all their dedication and hard work. Show them that you appreciate their dedicated commitment. Having someone in the team who’s duly committed to something will spread like wildfire over the other members of the organization. The result would be increased efficiency and teamwork.

#4 – Your wisdom is valuable.

This is especially true for the more senior members of the team. Just because they are lower in rank doesn’t mean they are less intellectual or wise than you. A good leader recognizes the value of the people around him, and learns to delegate and recognize real talent.

A wise person makes the people around him better. Their services usually  exceed all expectations, and they can be truly counted on. Wise employees are valuable because you will learn from them even by mere observation. You’d be better off because of them and all they do. And you’ll definitely have fun learning from them.

#5 – Your optimism is contagious.

There are those in our team who are the perennial cheerleaders. They always see the upside in life. No matter how grim things may look, they can always look at the bright side, the silver lining, the consolation.

Having an optimistic person as part of your team is really important because they can uplift the spirits of those around them.

But even the most optimistic people have their sad days. Why not make them feel loved and appreciated by letting them know how much they inspire you? Let them know that they are the bright spot in the room. The sunshine on a cloudy day. The rainbow after the rain.

Those who believe that love doesn’t belong in business or leadership are sorely mistaken.

When leaders show love to their people, that love is being reciprocated. What comes next are loyalty, respect, trust, and mutual concern for each other.

Loving the people that you lead lets them know that they are valued as human beings. And in this society wherein systems and infrastructure are more important than people, love is a welcome change.