In his book Love Works, Mr. Joel Manby questions the notion that one has to decide between caring about people and achieving results in business.

On the basis of his experience as a senior executive, he concluded that it is possible to hold people to high standards, ask them to be accountable, and at the same time treat them with true love and dignity.

The big idea of the book is simple:

Love isn't mainly a matter of how you feel towards people; it's about the way you treat them.

That is why love can be something that you actually carry out and measure in the workplace.

Manby builds his approach around seven principles from 1 Corinthians 13:

1. Be patient: Remain calm and exercise self-control, particularly in stressful situations.

2. Be kind: Treating people with dignity because you genuinely recognize the worth of every person, regardless of their status, usefulness, wealth, or what they can do for you.

3. Be trusting: Assign people responsibilities and make it clear that you believe they have the best interest of the team at heart regardless of their process and it’s outcome.

4. Act unselfishly : You should place the interests of others before your own ego.

5. Be truthful: Say to people the things they really need to hear, even if it is uncomfortable but with gentleness and respect.

6. Be forgiving: allow people to make mistakes, learn from them, and then try once more.

7. Be dedicated: Remain committed to your people and your values, particularly when things become difficult.

What I particularly commend about this framework is that love does not take the place of accountability.

A leader who is kind can still say, “Based on the standards we agreed upon this is not good enough. We need to fix this.”

In other words:

High standards and genuine care.

1. Change love from a feeling into a method of leadership

One of the most useful ideas from Mr. Manby is to stop asking:

Do I really feel that I love this person?

and start asking:

What sacrifice or effort do I need to apply towards caring for this relationship at this moment?

Love is sacrifice - “For God so loved the world that He GAVE His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)

The key word here is “GAVE” which means sacrifice.

Love is effort - “If you love me, KEEP my commands.” (John 14:15)

The key word here is “KEEP” which means effort

In fact, you won't always feel love towards your employees, your clients, your business partners, or even your competitors.

However, you can decide the way in which you treat them.

Before an important conversation with someone on your team, ask yourself:

What exactly does this person require from me?

It takes the message of 1 Corinthians 13 beyond the wedding ceremony and into the workplace.

2. Set "be goals," not just "do goals"

Most people make goals based on what they want to do, such as "run a marathon" or "write a book." But it's just as important to set goals about who you want to become. For example, instead of only aiming to run a marathon, you could set a goal to become someone who runs regularly and enjoys fitness. These "be goals" help you change your habits and build a new identity, not just check off tasks. When you focus on who you want to be, your actions start to match that vision. This makes it easier to stick with your goals over time.

A very strong notion is the distinction between what you achieve and who you eventually become.

A do goal might be:

Make a company that is worth one million dollars.

A be goal might be:

Be a leader who is patient, truthful, generous, trustworthy, and faithful.

It is easy for entrepreneurs to spend years chasing revenue, customers, growth, and bigger goals without stopping to ask:

What kind of person am I becoming as I am building all of this?

The importance of that question lies in the fact that it is possible to create a remarkable company and at the same time become a bad person.

In my opinion, a Christian entrepreneur should set both types of goals.

DO

BE

At the end of week, check both of them.

The business shows what you have achieved, while your character indicates the kind of person you have become in the process.

3. Develop a habit of loving accountability

This could well be the most important lesson for Christian business leaders.

Christian love does not involve avoiding difficult conversations.

The most loving thing you can do for someone at times is to tell them the truth (with gentleness and respect) which they don't want to hear.

Picture an employee who is always producing work below agreed standards.

You could respond with harsh accountability:

"You are not able to do this. How many times do I have to say it?"

Or you could go to the other extreme and practice avoidant niceness:

That's all right; there's no need to worry.

Neither is particularly helpful.

Instead, practice Loving Accountability:

“It’s not up to the standard that we agreed upon; I think you could perform better, so let’s work out what caused the problem and decide on the changes that are needed.”

The standard stays high.

The accountability remains.

However, the person's dignity remains undimmed. (Kindness)

This is an example of what Christlike leadership might appear as.

For me, the biggest question Love Works raises for a Christian business leader is:

Can I set up a high-performing company without giving up my Christlike character?

Mr.Manby's answer is yes.

And that gives us a really practical way to think about Christian character in business:

Love is the foundation.

Then:

Patience → how I respond under pressure

Kindness → how I treat people

Trust → how I empower people

Unselfishness → how I handle my ego

Truthfulness → how I communicate

Forgiveness → how I respond to failure

Dedication → how I remain faithful when things get hard

It is precisely this feature that makes Love Works so useful for Christian entrepreneurs.

The principle of "love your neighbor" is made into a series of practical questions concerning how one should lead, how one should communicate, how one should deal with failure, and how one should treat the people one works with on a daily basis.

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Until the next one,

This is Eli (Co-founder, Inbound Legends)

Stay exceptional.