A Valentine Dual: Love in Leadership

By: Emilie Tydings, Founder, AuriCollab

This Valentine’s Day, the world celebrates love. But what if we are celebrating an illusion?

Love is Not Inherently Kind. Love is Not Inherently Good. Love is Simply Power.

It is the strongest energetic force we know. But like all power, it amplifies whatever is already present. In the right hands, love is transcendent. In the wrong hands, it becomes a threat.

We believe love unites, but history shows us otherwise.

Love has justified wars, from the Crusades to the Spanish Inquisition, where people claimed to fight for a higher love—of God, country, or ideals. Love has fueled betrayals, like when political leaders manipulate affection for power, or when corporate leaders mask their hunger for control with the guise of "loving the team." Love has been wielded as a tool for exclusion, like in the deep-rooted systemic biases that divide communities, religions, and nations in the name of "love" for one’s own.

Love is not always soft. It is fierce, untamed, and sometimes it fails. When love is misunderstood, it becomes a distortion—what we call love is sometimes the energy of ownership, manipulation, or fear. And when love fails, it doesn’t just fade away; it leaves destruction in its wake. It breeds division, resentment, distrust, and disillusionment. Much of the sentiment of the air today.

So, the real question we must ask as leaders is not simply How do we lead with love? but rather: Are we ready for love? Do we even understand the frequency we claim to lead with?

The Energetic Reality of Love in Leadership

Love is not just an emotion. It is an active frequency, an energy field that shapes reality. Leadership is not just about making decisions; it is about transmitting energy.

And right now, we are living in an era of deep division, mistrust, and unrest. Leaders claim they are acting in the name of love—love of country, love of freedom, love of justice. But what happens when that love, infused with fear or scarcity, creates more destruction than healing?

The Quantum Reality: Love is an amplifier. It does not guarantee unity. It does not promise kindness. It simply expands the consciousness behind it.

This is why the world feels so fragmented. We are not lacking love; we are drowning in distorted love—love that has been hoarded, weaponized, and shaped by unconscious patterns.

When Leadership Love Fails: A Personal Reckoning

I remember sitting in that tight, cramped room. Everyone had gathered for our monthly faculty meeting. The Department Head stood at the front, opening with his ritualistic line “Thank you for being here, we have a lot of important business to discuss,” but there was no warmth in the words. No real connection. And the only voices he cared to hear were from the tenure track faculty. The rest of us were just bodies in a chair. The energy in the room was heavy with exhaustion, disengagement, resentment.

I watched as the same patterns played out over and over: The voices of a select few dominated, while the rest of the room sat in silence, our presence reduced to an afterthought. Morale was nonexistent. People checked out, resigned, and left.

And this is what we fail to recognize about love in leadership:

Love is not leadership unless it is shared. If it is hoarded, if it is performative, if it is spoken but not felt—it is not love. It is not leadership. It is a hollow gesture masking control.

And control masquerading as love is one of the most demoralizing forces there is.

The Quantum Field of Leadership: How Love Actually Works in Energy

We often think of leadership as strategy, decision-making, and execution. But at its core, leadership is an energetic practice.

Every leader carries a frequency. Every meeting, every conversation, every choice is an act of energetic transmission. Before a word is spoken, the field is already set. People don’t just hear what you say; they feel what you embody.

The question is: What are you amplifying?

Because love, at its highest frequency, creates expansion. But when distorted—when entangled with fear, ego, or scarcity—it fractures, erodes, and divides.

This is why leadership without energetic awareness is dangerous. You can believe you are leading with love, but if that love is infused with unconscious patterns of hierarchy, control, or self-preservation, it will only amplify division.

Activating the True Frequency of Love in Leadership

Leading with love is not just a lofty ideal—it's a practice. A conscious, ongoing choice to shift the energy of the space you inhabit. But how do we actually do this? How do we move from the intellectual idea of love to the energetic embodiment of it, especially in leadership?

Here are three simple, but radical ways to activate the true frequency of love in your leadership:

1. Check Your Energy First: Before you enter any meeting, before you speak to your team, ground yourself. Ask: What energy am I bringing into this space? If you want to lead with love, you must first be aware of what you're amplifying. If you feel tension, frustration, or stress, take a moment to center yourself. Your energy sets the tone for everything that follows.

2. Lead with Compassionate Calm: When the pressure’s on, and your team feels the heat, pause. Take a breath. Leading from a place of calm, not urgency, shifts the collective energy. Remember, the space you hold influences the space they fill. In moments of chaos, your centered presence is the steady force that guides the team toward calm clarity.

3. Be the Love You Want to See: It’s easy to get caught up in "performing" love—saying the right words, offering kind gestures—but love isn't about doing things; it's about being. Are you truly leading with an open heart, or are you going through the motions? Being authentic and fully present with those you lead is the most radical form of love you can offer.

When you activate the true frequency of love in your leadership, change the energetic fabric of the environment you're part of. You shift into an energetic architect, designing spaces where others feel seen, heard, and valued.

But it doesn't stop here. If you're ready to truly embody this practice of leadership— Check out my program, the Heart of 3rd Eye Leadership™, designed to give you the tools, insights, and practices needed to fully activate your leadership potential. In this course, you'll explore emotional intelligence, the power of the heart in leadership, and how to lead in a trauma-informed way. Plus, when you sign up, you’ll receive the Emotional & Social Intelligence Assessment and an accompanying workbook to guide you through your transformational journey.

A Quantum Call to Leadership in a Fractured World

This Valentine’s Day is a portal. A moment where the collective reflects on love—but also an opportunity for us all to redefine it.

The world needs leaders who understand the quantum responsibility of love.

Because if we continue misusing our interconnected energy—if we allow it to become performative, exclusionary, or self-serving—we continue amplifying the chaos. But if we amplify love in all the right ways,  we will rewrite a beautiful future.

So, I leave you with this:

Are you leading from love’s highest field? Or are you playing into love’s greatest illusion?