I love the month of February because on Valentine’s Day, we officially celebrate love.
A few years ago, my colleague Michele Jansen sent me a wonderful thing. A group of professional people posed the question “What does love mean?” to a group of children. The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone would have imagined. See what you think:
“Love is when someone hurts you and you get so mad, but you don’t yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings.”
“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.”
“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.”
“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore, so my grandfather did it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis, too.”
“Love is the first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way.”
“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend you hate.”
“When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you’re scared they won’t love you anymore, but then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more.”
Aren’t they wonderful, all these great sayings from kids about love? “Your name is safe in their mouth.” “Start with a friend you hate.”
Love is essential to good leadership. As my wife, Margie, often says, “Leadership is not about love; it is love.” When love enters into your decision making, you’re on the right track.
For too long, people thought love and business were mutually exclusive. Nothing could be further from the truth. When love extends to your mission, your values, your people, your customers, and the products or services you create, you make the world a better place.
So, let’s celebrate love this month—and every month!