Leadership Love

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What if you invited love to work with you? Would you show up differently?

If you teach or serve in the social sector, imagine how love could increase your drive, motivation, and ability to impact lives. On some days, the emotion could encourage you to smile and silence the sigh when opening your office door.

At some point, we get there. The roads may take us along different paths. We may not arrive at the same time, but we connect with passion and purpose when it’s our turn.

Love and frustration are forces behind my work. They guide how I show up to support students. When I write articles capturing the perspectives of the population Umoja serves or the courses, programs, and services we provide, I imagine my fingers as extensions of their vocal cords and struggles.

I don’t always get it right, but I always attempt to listen and share with authenticity and empathy. 

Love practices…

Eighteen practices inform the Umoja Community Education Foundation’s work with community colleges and universities. Each of the guiding practices emphasizes collective decision-making, connections to the African diaspora, and moral principles and values. Umoja’s Practice, Ethic of Love-The Affective Domain, provides guidance to teachers, administrators, counselors, and students who wish to experience an emotional connection in the teaching and learning process.

To work through Umoja’s Ethic of Love requires “having a willingness to share ourselves, our stories, our lives, our experiences to humanize and make real the classroom.”  Teaching through narratives reflects this practice. The Ethic of Love resonates with multiple spheres of my life.

With every move I’ve made, love has guided decisions and informed actions.

This year’s first published article, featured on The Good Men Project and under the Umoja banner, discussed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s love and its potential to shape social justice movements. I wrote it in January, after Inauguration Day, when love left the Capitol’s streets and seats. Consider the lack of love surrounding the circumstances of the latest school shooting.

Love realities…

Even if we manage to bring love to work with us every day, every shift will not end in bliss. Like relationships, every job has its own set of challenges.

This week, I traveled to Napa for a staff retreat. We covered our leadership agreement, participated in community-building activities, and shared multiple meals together. Throughout the week, we disagreed with each other, yet we managed to create harmony. Our retreat culminated with a moving appreciation activity.

Love doesn’t mean that challenges cease. In fact, in some instances, difficulties persist and increase.

The only way to determine if it’s genuine love or a fling is to persevere. Commitments in relationships and at work can lead to both successes and failures.

Leadership, whether of yourself or an organization, boils down to a series of tests. If you can build the stamina, endure less-than-ideal conditions, build courage, and love creativity, the potential for impact is limitless.

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