Growing up I saw leaders all around me. Their rules were rigid, but everything was in order, and I expected to follow in their footsteps. In the corporate world, I started climbing the ladder, eyes set on the boss’s office and his rulebook. When I unexpectedly exited after 12 years, I found myself in unfamiliar territory, desperately looking for ways to grow a brand-new entity born of my imagination and a serendipitous encounter with a six-year-old girl in an emergency shelter. That little girl was one of many who slept in their clothes as I read them bedtime stories. The sight of the children clinging to each other, teary-eyed, tossing and turning to find sleep, not even wearing pajamas, broke my heart and I was compelled to make a difference for them.
When I launched Pajama Program, I thought I had to run it the only way I knew, the way my corporate bosses did, using the same rules my teachers and parents taught me. Each in their own way insisted they knew best – and I believed them. To my surprise, my best teacher was that little girl; through her I learned true leadership is a privilege, and its purpose is to serve. I soon understood the only way to move forward was to put my heart on the line, trust myself and surrender any notion that I alone as ruler could fix things, change the status quo, or contribute something meaningful to the world. I knew deep down, following my heart, not someone else’s rules, would help make a difference – together.
I discovered real leadership is more precious than I knew. It has taken me 25 years to fully embrace the leadership truth that love is the key – not only to deepening our personal lives, but to growing our organizations to extraordinary heights. Toni Morrison famously said, “If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”
Leadership shares space in our hearts with passion, empathy, compassion, devotion and resilience. And Moxie is in there too, the grit that lives deep in our soul waiting to be called up when we must get it done.
COVID showed how we were masquerading as shells of ourselves at work, disconnected from our needs. We started to look for more fulfillment where we spent most of our waking hours. We started asking questions, challenging the “boss” figurehead and insisting on a new, more inclusive workplace model. Himanshu Bhatia, Founder and CEO, Rose International said, “As a leader, it’s a major responsibility on your shoulders to practice the behavior you want others to follow.”
We now know, leadership isn’t about control, it’s about connection. We know success is measured not just by the bottom line, but by how fulfilled everyone feels about their contribution to the organization to support its success. We understand facing challenges starts with an intention to create environments where trust flourishes and individuals are empowered to bring their ideas to work to find new and creative solutions through collaboration. Said featured PINK speaker and successful corporate leader Kat Cole, “Leadership is about the team — the culture they keep and embrace. It’s about empathy for your customers, clients, employees and the communities where you do business. It’s about doing the right thing for the right reasons, being confident enough to take risks, and being responsible enough to think of those whom your decisions and risks may affect.”
Three Ways to Lead with Love —
1. Start each day by asking yourself: What can I do to bring people together?
2. Invite someone you’re still getting to know to a one-on-one. Let them know you’re interested in how they’re doing on a project. Ask about their upcoming plans.
3. Tell your head your heart’s got this. Then let your heart take the lead.
Women are raising the bar, becoming living examples of leaders who inspire, transform and love. We know “Leading with Love” is not a soft or sentimental strategy, but a tried-and-true intention requiring emotional intelligence, vulnerability and a deep commitment to others. Embracing the fact empowerment stems from this place enables us to inspire the extraordinary in each other.
“It’s not the Power of One that changes things, it’s the Power of One-Another that moves mountains and moves people.”
–Genevieve Pitturro
By Genevieve Piturro
Genevieve Piturro is a TEDx Human Connection speaker and award-winning author. Genevieve’s journey has taken her from TV Executive in New York City to a little girl’s question in a homeless shelter to OPRAH to boardrooms and stages across America to talk about Purpose, The Human Connection, and How to Be a Voice that Moves the World.
A successful TV executive, Genevieve dramatically changed the direction of her life and found her purpose when a 6-yr old girl’s question rocked her world, and she jumped off the corporate ladder. In 2001 Piturro founded the successful national organization, Pajama Program and penned her first book, the 7x award-winning Amazon best seller, Purpose, Passion and Pajamas: How to Transform Your Life, Embrace the Human Connection and Lead with Meaning. Today she teaches, speaks, and writes about leading with love as a mindset. Genevieve offers Leading with Love – Tips from a Friend, heart-centered weekly guidance designed to support your leadership journey. She created and facilitates the “Purpose ACER” workforce training program, and 12 Masterclasses, focusing on management excellence and team building.
Genevieve has been interviewed on OPRAH, TODAY, GMA, The Early Show, CNN, Fox & Friends, Hallmark’s Home & Family show Huckabee, O Magazine, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. And she rang the Nasdaq Bell in 2016.
Leading with Love – Tips from a Friend. Check out the link for heart-centered weekly guidance designed to support your leadership journey forward. If you are seeking greater professional and personal purpose, connection, success, happiness and inner peace, please join me. I’m creating this community where we can share both our success strategies and hard-earned lessons—all to amplify more voices that move the world!
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Want more? Genevieve recommends these related articles:
1. FastCompany’s research shows expressing our affection for those we work with leads us to commit even more strongly to the organizations we work for. Research shows, people who work in a culture where they feel free to express affection, tenderness, care and compassion for one another were more satisfied with their jobs, committed to the organization, and accountable for their performance.
2. Army Colonel Joe Ricciardi grew interested in the idea of love at work almost 10 years ago when he was training to lead 2000 soldiers to clear the roads of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan. As he prepared for deployment, a general shared one piece of advice: “just love your soldiers.” Ricciardi took the advice to heart, shared it with his soldiers in the field, and later returned home to earn his Ph.D. in values-driven leadership. Ricciardi once asked a room of soldiers “So, how does love influence leadership?” In values-driven leadership research, Colonel Joe Ricciardi discovered employees who feel loved by their leaders are considerably more likely to regard the latter as a good leader.
