Love: the strengths advantage
Love is about valuing close relationships, showing warmth, and investing in connections
For product and transformation leaders, it’s the strength that builds loyalty, deepens trust, and sustains performance throughout change
At the senior Head of, Director, General Manager, and C-Suite levels, love is the leadership quality that signals care and commitment. The human side of change. In ever changing environments, technical expertise is simply not enough
Examples of underuse. A Chief Technology Officer may treat people as interchangeable resources, eroding morale and discretionary effort. A General Manager in Product and Transformation who avoids building genuine connections risks being seen as distant, weakening their influence when tough decisions are required
Examples of optimal use. A Transformation Director who invests in authentic relationships with their Delivery Leads ensures alignment, loyalty, and resilience when they are under pressure. A CEO who recognises the human cost of each commercial decision creates loyalty, earns respect, strengthens culture, and drives sustained performance
Examples of overuse. Love taken too far can become favouritism. A Head of Engineering who prioritises personal bonds over delivering tough but objective performance evaluations risks undermining standards. A Chief Operating Officer who shields close colleagues from accountability may compromise strategic outcomes and lose credibility
The sweet spot is love that strengthens connections without compromising on fairness. Product and transformation leaders who use this strength well create cultures that people want to work in and they’re the leaders people will follow to new teams and new organisations
Research shows that leaders who know, apply, and maximise their strengths experience higher resilience, stronger influence, and improved performance outcomes. Love is just one of the 24 strengths that we explore in The Strengths Advantage
The Strengths Advantage
Book your team into the half-day workshop to encourage authentic connections, or choose the 90-minute 1:1 leader session to rethink of love can strengthen your own leadership presence