Zeratul - Love and leadership

Expecting more from leaders

Our Undercover Boss program was watched by over 18 million viewers. It became the most popular program of the week for CBS Television Network. It was the second most popular program in America after the famous American Idol. After the program aired, my cell phone seemed to be ringing 24 hours a day, and my social media accounts like Twitter and Facebook and my emails were flooded with messages. For example, our website has an average of 50 visitors per day, and within the first forty-five minutes of the program airing , it had 60,000 visitors. Something caught the attention of people who witnessed the activities of our workers, and their curiosity was piqued.

A man from California expressed his views to us this way: “If I didn’t have a job right now, I would keep coming back to your company until you hired me. Even if it was just picking up trash, I would be so proud to be a part of a company like yours.”

This perception is prevalent among people who want us to know that their own workplaces look similar to what they see on the Uncover Boss program.

There have been many requests to know more about the nature of our organization and our Workers' Choice Support Foundation. There are also business matters to be done, so it is necessary to limit outside involvement. However, a part of me urges that this information should be made available to any organization, including business, social, and government organizations.

The simple truth is that there is a huge problem with trust in leadership. I am amazed by the outpouring of frustration in thousands of emails and letters. Many people do not trust their leaders, their employers. And

That's why our Undercover Boss program has generated such a strong response. People are yearning for something new and better. Countless workers want more from their leaders and their workplace. We've heard these things.

What role does love play?

The most satisfying part of participating in the Undercover Boss program is that it reinforces the visionary management philosophy of “Leading with Love,” which has been cultivated by leaders at HFE for nearly half a century.

Leading with Love is the natural response in today’s business environment. It is turning the rules of leadership upside down. The overwhelming support we have received from people who have never heard of HFE even once has convinced me that while we may be doing something a little crazy with Leading with Love, we are doing something that people are dying to be a part of.

While I was still working on my experiences with the television program and the reactions to it, I was invited to participate in a panel discussion organized by the Society of Human Resource Managers. When I got on stage, the topic of the program was 'Undercover Boss'. What happened next surprised me.

The host asked me what the story behind our caregiving is like on our show. I used love to describe the leadership culture at HFE. We train our leaders to be kind and loving to each other by making them realize that if they create a positive experience with their employees, they will experience a positive experience in return. Most organizations avoid talking about how people should treat each other. I think that’s what’s wrong with organizations. Why are we so afraid to talk about love?

The audience burst into applause, unexpectedly. It was almost non-stop. Of all the topics discussed that night, the discussion on using love in business and how to treat each other in the workplace was the most applauded. People became more interested in love and leadership.

Not long ago, I had the opportunity to speak at our industry conference in Orlando. Over thirty thousand delegates from major companies around the world, including Disney Universal, attended the conference.

I told the attendees about the history of HFE and our philosophy of leading with love. I gave a general overview of our business model, but most of the time we talked about how we use love to approach leadership.

The response was overwhelming. After my talk, I received a constant stream of compliments from attendees throughout the conference room, acknowledging that I was sharing such a topic. They also wondered if love and leadership could actually be a good thing for their organizations.

The next day, the headline of the industry newspaper published my statement was “What role does love play?” The answer to that question was already in my head. “Everything, every aspect.”

This is why you hold this book in your hands. No matter what kind of organization you are part of, or what level of leadership you are responsible for, you are reading this book because you hope that there is a better way to lead than to focus on the essentials and make things happen.

I will say clearly that there is a better way. That way is leadership with love. A leadership style that respects workers and develops their core values, a sense of responsibility that allows for second chances.

It is a leadership style that is effective in changing the culture of your organization and your leadership style.

I don’t expect you to believe the principles and principles in this book until you read them. My experiences are not fairy tales. They are filled with pain, mistakes, and losses. But I can say that coming to HFE has changed the way I live my life and my perspective on leadership. I hope that by the end of this book, I will have helped you understand one thing. It is that love can accomplish anything.