By David Henzel, co-founder of TaskDrive. We support sales and marketing teams with personalized lead research and outbound campaigns.
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“Love not fear” is a mantra based on the concept that we as people think and act based on one of these two emotions. While many sources, such as Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements, have discussed it, many people don’t realize that we have the power to choose how we approach everything in our lives. Little do they realize that they tend to operate out of fear and a mentality based on lacking. But the good news is that we can actually change the way we approach situations in our professional lives and turn many into positive developments. I believe this not only can contribute to living a happier life but also has immense benefits for the way we conduct business.
I am a firm believer that business should be about providing as much value as possible to people rather than simply making a sale. When we focus on reaching a quota solely for financial rewards, then the motive is based on fear. And when someone acts like a pushy car salesman by focusing on making the deal, it shows, and the customer is likely to sense that insincerity. But if we know that the service or product we are pushing can improve someone else’s life, then our driving force becomes providing value, which is a form of expressing “love.”
From A Recovering Introvert To A Public Speaker
Despite knowing that what I produced professionally would enrich someone else’s life, I still despised making sales calls and participating in meetings because I was once an extreme introvert. But when I realized that a fear of public speaking was hindering the amount of value that I could provide to people, I decided to tackle my introverted nature head-on by embracing the task with the mindset of love. By engaging in exposure therapy by going to weekly networking and Toastmasters meetings, I overcame my fear of speaking in public and now regularly present videos and participate in webinars, and I have given talks in front of audiences of hundreds of people. The awareness that what you fear is holding you back can help you to turn a negative situation into a positive one.
The ‘Love Not Fear’ Mindset In The Workplace
Imparting this concept that we can choose to work using the mindset of love and not fear on employees can also positively impact every aspect of your operations. For example, say a staff member preparing a newsletter presents it to you, and the outcome is disappointing—and in a sense soulless. You could ask the employee about their motivations for working on the project: Are they working on this project because they fear what would happen if they don’t, or are they seeking to be proud of what they produced? If you can help your employee realize that the perspective they were tackling the project with was not the right angle and change it, the work they produce could immensely improve. This change in mindset can concretely alter the quality of a product like a newsletter.
Accountability And Transparency
While the “love not fear” concept is one of the core values in my businesses, so are accountability and transparency. I’ve found that the lack of both, in any case, often arises from a feeling of fear, but I feel that embracing these concepts represents a feeling of love. If you love what you do, you “own it,” which means having accountability. If you are scared of the obstacles that can arise, there is no reason not to be transparent about everything you produce.
The bottom line is: If any aspect of your business presents itself with “pushy salesman” energy, your customers will likely sense this. The same principle applies when operations are based primarily on providing value. When the focus is enriching the lives of your customers, they will feel where you are coming from and may therefore be much more inclined to request your services.
Changing Our Approach
We can apply the “love not fear” concept to every aspect of life, from our personal relations to our professional obligations, and I share it with those I come into contact with as much as possible. So many don’t realize that we tend to revert to what some refer to as a “scarcity mindset” as if we are lacking something, but awareness of this pattern is the first step toward changing it.
While we all have anxieties and fears and it is well-known that people tend to have a negativity bias, we can work on rewiring our thought processes so they are not chained to the negative beliefs instilled in us from our upbringing or the society we live in. The knowledge that it is possible for us to change our thoughts and emotions is something that can empower us to lead better lives, be better professionals and positively impact everyone around us.
