Love is a word I wish leaders used more often. Talking about love is strength, just as humility and vulnerability are strengths, just as giving a full apology shows strength. Yes, determination and will are also key, but any individual, any organisation powered by love is infinitely stronger.
I also think of the situation in the world now, and particularly the USA, where there is so much toxic leadership. I have to remind myself that, as beautifully put in this blog featuring the words of Andrew Cuomo earlier in the pandemic: “Love Wins“.
Thank you to Shane Parrish of Farnam Street for sharing in a recent newsletter this quote and the amazing wisdom from Jerry Seinfeld, with it also inspiring the visualisation above by Jack Butcher at Visualize Value.
Love is endless. Will is finite
Howard Stern recently interviewed Jerry Seinfeld on the Howard Stern show. Stern was talking about how hard he worked every day to make a living in radio and then said: “I thought (to myself), you know, it is possible to will yourself, maybe not to be the greatest in the world but to certainly get what you want.” Jerry Seinfeld then replied:
“I’m going to adjust your perspective a little bit. That was not will. What you were using, what Michael Jordan uses and what I use, is not will. It’s love. When you love something, it’s a bottomless pool of energy. That’s where the energy comes from. But you have to love it, sincerely. Not because you’re going to make money from it, or be famous, or get whatever you want to get. When you do it because you love it, then you can find yourself moving up and getting really good at something you wanted to be good at. Will is like not eating dessert or something, that’s just forcing yourself. You can’t force yourself to be what you have made yourself into. You can love it. Love is endless. Will is finite.”