What’s driving your actions as a leader? Are you letting fear or love take the wheel today? When facing change and uncertainty, it’s easy for fear to creep in and not realize it. 

fear drives your actions

• If you feel the need to have daily updates from your team.
• If you feel it’s necessary to have multiple team video calls during the week.
• If you’re worried about your team not being productive while working from home.
• If you feel it’s necessary to be copied on email correspondence.
• If you feel you have to appear to all the answers right now.
• If you paint a picture better than reality. No one likes false hope.

Trying to control your team is fear-driven behavior. Fear stifles people physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Fear reduces your team’s ability to think clearly, to perform well, and be innovative.

Love isn’t naive. Love is disciplined. It makes the best choice for the team. It sees the entire picture and how decisions affect everyone, instead of a few. Love is realistic. It acknowledges fear but doesn’t give it power. 

Love drives your actions,

• If your actions support your team’s well-being.
• If you check in with each team member (1:1’s) to hold them accountable and support their growth.
• If you’re giving your team time to respond without needing an immediate reply. This doesn’t eliminate emergencies, but it does require better planning and communication.
• If you respect team members’ personal time for lunches, breaks, appointments, vacation, and after hours.
• If your actions acknowledge your team faces challenges at home too, you are letting love drive your actions.

The workplace is constantly evolving and so must our leadership. We face new challenges with technology, the economy, and society. There is no playbook. It is more important than ever to lead with compassion, confidence, and courage. Your team needs you to lead.

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Your Turn

What actions would you include under fear or love?