Leading from fear is a mistake…
Leadership is…
Love of mission
Love of people
Love of the profession
A peer once shared a troubling moment:
His lieutenant went to the captain to complain about her team’s proactivity, not because it was reckless, but because it might “make her look bad” and hurt her promotability.
That’s not leadership. That’s fear disguised as control.
When we lead from fear:
We protect our rank, not our people.
We manage appearances, not outcomes.
We smother initiative, not elevate excellence.
We fracture the very trust that holds teams together under pressure.
The further we drift from love:
Love of mission
Love of those we serve
Love of doing what’s right…
The more we get lost.
Lost in politics.
Lost in blame.
Lost in a sea of unfulfilling, toxic outcomes that silence or push good people out.
Fear makes you protect your ego.
Love makes you protect your team.
Tough choices happen every day, even in subtle moments. Ask yourself:
Are you leading from fear?
Or from love?
One builds legacy.
The other breeds resentment.
Action: Before your next shift or task, pause for 60 seconds and reconnect with why you do this work. Write down one sentence that reminds you of your deeper mission. Carry it with you today.
Reflection: When was the last time your love of the mission gave you the strength to keep going, even when it was hard? How might reconnecting to that purpose shift the way you show up right now?