What has love got to do with leadership?

Care, properly understood, is not soft. It builds the trust and belonging that high performance depends on.

By Dr. Toye Sobande · First published in BusinessDay, 23 August 2024

Talk of love in leadership can sound out of place in a boardroom. Dr. Sobande makes the case that it belongs there, defined not as sentiment but as respect for human dignity, empathy and a genuine interest in people’s growth.

The argument

Leadership is ultimately about people, and people do their best work when they feel respected and valued. Care builds the trust, loyalty and sense of belonging that strong teams run on; dismissing it as soft overlooks how performance actually works.

Care is not favouritism and it does not mean lowering the bar. It means creating conditions where people can excel, which includes holding them accountable. Empathy, a core part of emotional intelligence, is what lets a leader understand and motivate a team toward shared goals.

Key takeaways

  • Define care as respect, empathy and investment in people’s growth.
  • Care builds trust and belonging, which support performance.
  • Caring leadership is not favouritism or sentimentality.
  • Show interest beyond the job, listen actively and recognise contributions.
  • Balance compassion with accountability; standards stay high.

“Love is not a luxury in leadership; it is essential.”

Dr. Toye Sobande

A question to take away

Would your team say you care about their growth, or only about their output?

Read the full column. This article summarises Dr. Toye Sobande’s column “What has love got to do with leadership” from his weekly series The Leadership Factory in BusinessDay Nigeria. Read it in full on BusinessDay ↗