The pandemic has caused us to to pause and rethink. It has also provided us with an opportunity to reframe and recreate.
As I take my daily walks I’m practising noticing what is around me and reflecting on whatever comes up instead of rushing to complete my exercise. I spied this ivy leaf. It looks heart-shaped to me. It stimulated my thinking about love and how we miss face to face interactions with our family and friends.
As I walked back into my office I noticed on my bookshelves, “Love 2.0 How Our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do and Become” by the psychology professor Barbara L. Fredrickson, PH.D.
It made me wonder about the role of love in the workplace – not romantic love- but care, compassion, respect and engagement with our colleagues, customers and suppliers.
When I worked in global financial services I actively eschewed anything that I feared would make my colleagues dismiss me as “feminine”, “weak” or “touchy feely”. Now as an executive coach and leadership consultant I’ve recognised the key role emotions play in how we make sense of our world, how we engage with others, how we lead, negotiate and collaborate.
What do you think – is love a “dirty word” in the workplace?
If you would like to have a conversation to explore how you could work effectively with your emotions to become a more successful leader or entrepreneur contact me at sylvana@sylvanacaloni.com or +44 (0) 7952 068133.