Chapter 225

“A leader’s work is all about relationships and interactions. It makes sense that love should guide his or her daily actions and decisions.” - Ken Byler

This is one of those mushy ideas that I don’t like talking about because I think it confuses the means with the goal. If the goal is a more productive life bringing value to everyone it touches, then the means of that goal would be relationships and interactions within those relationships. Those would be best served by love or high mutual regard or some other highly empathetic guidance. But that is the means in this situation, not the goal. I would change the statement to, “a leaders work is about helping each person become more productive and value-creating, and relationships and the following interactions would of course be key in seeing that accomplished.” Again, we are talking about a leaders work here, not marriage.

If we are discussing the goal of fine relationships and interactions, then the second sentence above makes perfect sense. If we are discussing family and romance and love life, then the second sentence above makes perfect sense. If we are on a sports team or in a sorority or in a club, at the very least loyalty and commitment should rule your daily actions and decisions if not love.

As the quote stands, I think it makes a mockery of both leader and love. Both words and the ideas that define them, deserve more than one another.