This year, I made a decision: No more Q&A from the stage! It's not that I don't love answering questions about Love; I do! I just know there's a better way. 

My four-year-old granddaughter, Capri, snuggled up in a little nest of blankets and pillows in my office, sleepy after dental surgery. Her mom needed to run an errand. I put on a Spotify lullaby playlist while she rested. First, Julie Andrews sang, “Stay Awake” from Mary Poppins. Billy Joel sang, “Goodnight, My Angel”. Then I recognized Mr. Roger’s voice singing, “Many Ways to Say I Love You.”

I've held a poem close for weeks and was thinking of sharing it today. It hung in my poem box out by the street all summer long. Now the faded copy sits on my art table, waiting. I read it now and then, recognizing in its fresh phrases the familiar, compelling challenge. I think, “Oh, that's so good!”

I've just arrived in New Mexico to celebrate two milestones: the 50th anniversary of my alma mater, Pepperdine University’s Master of Science in Organization Development program, and my own 20-year reunion. Being here with classmates and other alums brings back memories of how much courage it took to invest in myself all those years ago, and how profoundly that investment shaped my life.

I love what happens when people come together in joyful, dedicated collaboration - think flash mobs, theater productions, marching bands, big celebrations, and yes, sports victories too. We’re still buzzing from one of those victories…

In my research and teaching, I've learned that respect is a complicated term that we use in different ways. Sorting through this complexity can help make sense of what we see and feel, and keep us grounded in our human values. 

Things are getting real here at the multi-generational Smith Bilbao house!

Let me tell you why: Life with my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and their three kids (4, 10, and 15) is serving up daily lessons in self-awareness, emotional maturity, and Loving Leadership…for Grandma (me)!

Standing on stage, I could feel the connection with the audience as I delivered my final line, hand on my heart, uplifting and affirming them as Loving Leaders. A short pause floated in the air, and then – applause. I smiled and nodded in acknowledgement and turned to step off the stage. I could feel the fuzzy buzz of adrenaline in my body.

The question in the Q&A box carried frustration and weariness: “What can I do about the need to constantly translate fearful messages from leaders into more loving and human language? It’s exhausting.”

Is there only one way to lead? With a hard heart to get the job done?

Not really, shares Renee Smith in this article.

My 60th birthday is here. It is a time for bold reflection, and to renew my vows to Love.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop right now!”

 In the 60’s and 70’s, this was a familiar threat made by many frustrated parents to kids reluctant to shift gears.

 The challenge of choosing what’s good for us, what will ultimately make us happy, doesn’t stop when we are grown.

Coming home from an event, we were catching up as we pulled up to my house. I was describing a situation that left a wound; I was grieved, holding on and nursing that wrong, feeling frustrated and justified in my hurt. She put the car in park, turned to me, and said…

When first encountering Love as the core guiding principle of leadership, you might remember thinking, “Love? That’s ridiculous. Love is too soft.” It’s understandable to react this way, given how Love is socialized and trivialized. But by taking a beat to consider Love, its fullness becomes clear. And in that fullness is its usefulness. 

In a culture that prizes looking good, it's easy to believe we have to be the perfect example of wisdom and care. But the truth is, Loving Leaders are people and people have gaps. We are quirky, messy, and sometimes even obsessed!

It's a challenging place to be: Fluent in the old system with all its tendencies toward threatening control and using people up but no longer believing in this way of leading or working.  You know how to play that game, but you realized awhile back that you don't want to play it anymore…

Gary Keogh had a once in a lifetime opportunity as Global Brand Director for Balvenie, a renowned whisky, to lead the launch of 60-year-old Balvenie. So how does an experienced brand expert like Gary, hired by the parent company to lead, approach this challenge?

Last week I shared the profound impact my husband Jim’s Loving Leadership is having on my son and daughter-in-law, who moved in with us last month with their three children. But Jim isn’t the only one leading with love. Zach and Desirée are also stepping into Loving Leadership—starting with themselves.

My son and his family moved in with us just a month ago.

When word got out, concerned calls poured in from other family members. With our modest-sized home, they wondered: where would everyone fit? How would we manage the hubbub while working from home? And since Jim and I have only been married two years, how did he feel about suddenly gaining a full household?

“I want to speak up. But I struggle with explaining my human values, especially right now when there's so much harsh power moving in the world. I know what I believe but sometimes I don't know what to say."  Can you relate to this struggle?