Loving Leadership: Before and After

It was sitting on the curb at the back of the grocery store parking lot on a hot July day. Dry and shriveled, its tiny pot was wrapped in pink foil. It was intended to be a gift, the kind you might pick up for an ailing aunt or for friends hosting dinner.

Jim saw it sitting there abandoned.

A tiny rose plant. 

Ever the optimist, he brought it home, dug a hole, and planted those little twigs and roots in our garden. Then he came in and announced he had got me a rose. Smile.

I went out to see.

I looked at it, and at him, and at it again laughing and said, “Wow, thank you!”

We wondered what color it might be.

Last week, we found out. A lovely red flower bloomed, and wonder of wonders, it has a beautiful scent! A bonus since so many roses don’t.

As the weather turned rainy today, he suggested I cut the bloom to enjoy. It sits on my desk reminding me that potential is all around us if only we can see possibilities, rather than appearances.

This is true for us as Loving Leaders too.

Neglected people apply for our job. Maybe we aren’t looking for someone with that background or set of experiences. But maybe we can see the potential for something more and they join our team.

Maybe we are the first to get to know them as people. Maybe we are the first to discover their quiet talents and hidden aspirations. Maybe they are no longer passed over, unseen and undervalued. Maybe they stop withering and start flourishing.

Years ago, I was leading a division and needed to hire an administrative assistant. The head of the organization was in the middle of a search for an assistant too, so I reviewed the applications they’d rejected. One jumped out to me. Surely, they made a mistake not selecting this person to interview.

But “No,” I was told, “She doesn’t have the background we are looking for and she has no experience in our industry.”

Neither of these things mattered to me. Her resume revealed unique, transferable skills that we didn’t often see. I also saw initiative, business sense, and leadership. I hired her, and she was an amazing assistant.

Leading her with love meant not only giving her a chance but trusting and coaching as she took on important responsibilities. She thrived, grew confident, and made wonderful contributions. Eventually she moved on and has grown in new roles in other organizations. Recently, she moved back to our original organization but into an executive leadership position where she is now a Loving Leader to others.

Jim’s rose would’ve died at the back of that parking lot. Instead, it found a safer place with water and rich soil. Now it’s healthy and blooming.

Look around. Who do you see? Your interest, opportunity, and care may be just what’s needed to create conditions for someone to flourish.

That’s Loving Leadership. ❤

If you are ready for coaching to be this kind of Loving Leader, or if you've been passed up and are ready to choose the coaching you deserve, reach me here: https://www.makeworkmorehuman.com/consultation and I'll be in touch.