Love

Like in politics, women leaders ensure diversity and gender empowerment in the world of business too. At leadership levels, the emergence of women as strong leaders has transported the elements of love, empathy and kindness. One such woman leader is Nirupama Vellore Ganapathy—the architect behind Ad Astra.

As a business leader and industry veteran with over two-decades-long experience, she has played a central role in setting up multinational firms of international repute. In a multicultural and multiethnic locale, working across multiple geographies and coming into contact with different cultures of work has made her realise that “love plays a major and constructive role” at Leadership levels. As a woman leader, she believes that “compassion comes very naturally to women.”

Sharing her insights with Gnothi Seauton, Nirupama V. G. asserts, “A simple pat on the back of a co-worker telegraphs a message that there is someone who’s reaching out to you and appreciating your contribution to team work. Love plays a very important role in developing the culture of an organization.”

We are citizens of the world. As global citizens, people from multiple backgrounds bring in diversity, different cultures of work and different skill sets. Love enables you to appreciate this productive diversity.”

She is of the opinion that love at the workplace makes leaders recognise that people have huge potential and that a loved colleague and co-worker has 10 times more energy than the one whose contribution is discounted. “Love allows you to offer space to people to perform better and stay longer. A real leader’s job is to play the role of a facilitator. Love changes peoples’ lives. As a leader, there is no joy bigger than the realisation that you have made a positive difference to an individual and their families. The joy of seeing people and families grow cannot be expressed in words.”

Leaders across the globe are grappling with a serious question: Whether compassion and performance are in variance with each other? Is compassionate business or Love at leadership levels even possible in the 21st century?

Aditi Banerjee, co-founder Magic Billion, has the answer to these critical questions. Based out of London, Aditi established a reputed global talent management company in 2018 in partnership with her father Basab Banerjee. In 2019, she was conferred the prestigious Asian Woman of Achievement (Public Service) Award in London.

“Without love everything becomes transactional. More than compassion, I think love is passion. You love what you are passionate about. You are passionate about what you love,” Aditi Banerjee argues, adding that, “our entire leadership at Magic Billion nurtures passion. We believe in love and do not shy away from showing the real us. Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness.”

Magic Billion taps the talent on track from many parts of India. As a talent hunter, the company offers support to international employers across industries—from manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare to Information Technology—to find the best talent in terms of excellence and dexterity.

As a business leader, Ms. Banerjee’s definition of love is distinctive. “For me, love would mean to build a company and a team which is creating impact, changing lives for good, and leaving behind something to remember; a mark.”

Modern-day leaders insist on the psychology of Love and seek a higher purpose and meaning in their roles. They often talk about the value of treating their co-workers as equals. Love enables business leaders to gain self-control and employ self-awareness to take the right calls. It is a sort of self-discovery. Love also helps leaders to control their anger and embrace value-based leadership.