Leaders need to practice tough love in the workplace

| November 7, 2013

Shivani Gupta believes you need to bring more LOVE into your workplace.  Wait, don’t tune out just yet, she doesn’t mean “hippy-like” nirvanas where everyone holds hands all day.

There is a beautiful and profound four letter word that I think should be brought back into organisations. We all know it and have experienced it. Much has been written about it and many people sing about it. Yet we don’t talk about it much in business.

We should be bringing more L.O.V.E. – love into businesses and workplaces. Now that has conjured up all sorts of images and ideas in your head. Shake them off and hear me out.  I am not suggesting that organisations be “hippy-like” nirvanas where everyone holds hands all day.  I am suggesting the opposite.

We know the statistics. When you LOVE what you do you are more likely to be creative and passionate and successful.  When your staff LOVE coming to work or feel loved or valued at work they are more likely to be more loyal and productive. (Watch my video blog where I talk about that research shows the number one reason why good people leave a job is not money, but the relationship with their manager.)

Leaders in organisations need to be espousing a special kind of LOVE – tough love. Too often managers show either a too soft an engagement style or show a hard line performance management style. You certainly don’t want to show love for your staff or suppliers or customers only to be taken advantage of.  You need to practice tough love so you can have the tough conversations when necessary.

In my new book and training course called Tough Love for Leaders I use eight ancient Sanskrit principles from my homeland in India that are very relevant in showing today’s leaders how to give tough love in the workplace.

You must first introduce love in the workplace. When you have successfully done that it is easier to be tough when you need to be.

Shivani Gupta is an author, key note speaker, and personal and business coach. She is a successful businesswoman and the founder and CEO of Passionate People Institute. Shivani has won several awards including Telstra Young Businesswomen of the Year. She has a passion for inspiring and challenging women to lead the life they want to live.

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