Happy Valentine’s Day!! Although this is not my favorite holiday because of the commercialism that surrounds it, I do love the premise behind it—expressing love for those you care about the most. It’s the “love” holiday and we definitely don’t like to talk about “love” in the workplace, but maybe it has a place.

The Greeks have at least 8 words to describe different kinds of love. Eros would be their Valentine romantic love, but Philadelphia comes from one of their love words, as does mania and pragmatic. One of the deepest desires for all humans is to be loved—and it doesn’t have to be romantic love, just loved. This is really important to know if you’re a leader—or if you want to be a good one.

We are so afraid to use the word “love” at work, but if we were in Greece, we would have the right word to choose so we could “love” our colleagues. The opposite of love isn’t necessarily hate, it can most often be fear. Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. Look around at your team, do they feel loved—Philadelphia style love? Most leaders will say, “Yes, absolutely,” but if I ask the team if they feel loved, statistically, their answer will be far less convincing. So take some time to share the love today! Look, nobody ever said, “I wish I was loved less.”

Let’s GO! WE GOT THIS!

Beth