Leadership and Respect
Leadership is characterized by the responsibility of offering guidance and direction to those being led. In many spheres of life, leaders are instrumental in guiding people to achieve a specific result or reach a certain objective. However, it is not easy to lead since those being led can make the life of the leader miserable in instances where they choose to outrightly rebel. Better leaders tend to use two ways to earn the respect of the followers as well as coerce them into doing what they require. One kind of leader tends to use his authority to instill fear into the followers and make them to sheepishly follow him. The other kind of leader uses love and kindness to earn the respect of his followers as well as those that he is supposed to lead. Therefore, a better leader is one who is loved, rather than one who is feared.
Fear is not Respect
Fear is not respect. A leader who uses his authority to instill fear into his followers does not earn their respect. Even though he is able to use fear to coerce the followers to do something, he is not the best kind of leader. Leadership by fear is characterized by certain attitudes with a belief in negative reinforcement such as penalties intended to force compliance. This kind of leader does not care about his employees or what they may be going through but only cares about meeting his goals regardless of the means to achieve them. Such a leader causes his followers to fear even taking the initiative since their primary concern will automatically be how to avoid making any mistake that may cause trouble with their leader.
The Importance of Love in Leadership
In this case, they will fear to make bold moves that require calculated risks since they fear to fail their leader. Employees or followers that fear their leader will not be dedicated to their jobs or to achieve a certain goal. They will only do what they routinely are supposed to do, without any sense of dedication. Nevertheless, a loved leader will be a motivating effect for the employees to be more productive since they are happy and feel more appreciated. In this regard, they will reciprocate the love they receive from their leader into their work, thus achieving better results than fearful employees who feel intimidated.
Building Trust in Leadership
Fear eventually turns into hate for the leader, which in turn causes the followers to actively resist any direction from the leader. A leader needs to build a foundation of trust between himself and his followers. This can only be achieved in a friendly environment with love as the ingredient. A leader that is loved by his followers causes them to adopt his values, culture as well as his vision in a lasting and sincere way. This kind of follower does not have to be monitored so that they can do what is right. Their love for their leader causes them to automatically do what is expected of them and more.
The Power of a Loved Leader
All in all, it is apparent that a loved leader will achieve more with his team than a feared leader. Love is essential in many spheres of life. The best leader is one who earns the trust and respect of his followers and not one who forces himself on the people. Once you love someone, you can follow them to the gates of hell without any fear. A loved leader can thus accomplish more with his team than a feared leader.
