L.O.V.E. 2 Lead: A Journey of Self-Reflection, Significance, and Servant Leadership

by Aaron P. Mikulsky

The only kind of true leadership is servant leadership. L.O.V.E. 2 A Journey of Self-Reflection, Significance, and Servant Leadership is about how to become a more effective servant leader. First, however, you must perform some deep work to better understand yourself – your values, beliefs, strengths, priorities, and definition of success. The argument is made that leadership is love. This one-word definition of leadership also forms the 2 LEAD is 2 L.O.V.E. Model™. Various leadership perspectives and examples are shared throughout, what leadership is and is not, power vs. authority, management vs. leadership, leading in times of chaos and change, and two useful maxims to guide your life.All profits from this book will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in remembrance of Aaron's mom who passed away December 2020.

137 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 22, 2021

About the author

Aaron’s Motto: Learn, Lead, Inspire, Encourage, Equip, Execute

He has a BBA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, an MBA from Roosevelt University in Chicago, and has completed Cornell University’s Executive Leadership program. Aaron is a Juran Global, certified Six Sigma Black Belt. He has served on numerous non-profit boards and is also an Academy of Modern Applied Psychology Certified Life Coach.

Aaron is an accomplished Senior Executive and Thought Leader with more than 25 years of success across the insurance industry. His broad areas of expertise include: Strategy Development and Execution, Lean Six Sigma discipline, Agile Development speed-to-market, Organizational Structure Redesign; Change Management leadership, and creating Innovative Cultures.

He is a valuable leadership coach and advisor for organizations experiencing challenges around growth, developing new business models and strategies, increasing ease-of-doing-business, building innovative and efficient operations, and managing risk.

Aaron is the founder of Love 2 Lead Consulting Services, LLC, and author of the two books L.O.V.E. 2 Lead: A Journey of Self-Reflection, Significance, and Servant Leadership, and Monday MOtivation 6 Years of Sharing Stories and Insights.

Follow his blog: www.love2lead.biz/blog

Reviews

[David Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I worked with Aaron years ago and just picked up his book a few weeks ago. He is dead right about serving leadership and did a fantastic job of compiling support for servant leadership from a wide array of speakers, authors, and great leaders from the past.

I have read many books that Aaron references and now have a long list of books I can’t wait to read next.

[Kari Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I worked with Aaron for many years and benefitted first hand from Aaron's L.O.V.E. to Lead model. He truly espouses what he writes. His self reflective, compassionate self analysis always focuses on improving himself as a leader, while he inspires and encourages others to become the best leader in their own lives. He truly desires to serve others with heart filled leadership. This book is a great read for anyone wanting to show up as a leader in their lives, but is especially geared towards those business leaders who are looking to improve or expand their vision. This book will take you from being just a "manager" to becoming the leader that your employees, family and community is yearning for.

[John Monson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to anyone who seeks to grow as a people leader or just better themselves as a human being. I love how the material emphasizes understanding yourself, your purpose, and your strengths to not just improve yourself, but to better those around you. The author challenges the reader to step back, examine yourself, your priorities, and your purpose and chart your course to better servant leader. The lessons from this book extend beyond professional careers and are beneficial for improving personal relationships as well. Get this book for your friends and family – they will love it! I’m excited to see what comes next from this author.

[Betsy Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leading from a place of self-understanding is a paramount message of this book. It resonates for the very new to most seasoned leaders, and Aaron does a great job of offering ways to view our “leadership who” and how that impacts our effectiveness as leaders. I have given this book to emerging leaders and several seasoned leaders to encourage reflection in the face of the exponential business and world changes of today. Thoughtfulness and introspection promote opportunity, and this book promotes all three. It’s an excellent read!

[Jay Goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written, straightforward book that both educates the reader and leaves one with thought-provoking questions that should be answered by everyone. It could easily have been titled “Life 2 Lead” as it contains advice on how to identify the things in life that are most important to you, as well as translating that information into how to effectively lead others. This is a book for everyone – not just people who are in leadership roles in their workplace. I had the pleasure of working with the author for five years and he is truly a student, and a teacher, of leadership.

[Tom Warden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, Aaron Mikulsky, brings together insights from more than 1,000 books he has read and his own life's experiences to posit a simple yet elegant framework for conducting ourselves as leaders, co-workers, friends and citizens. He finds and presents the common threads among what great people from all walks of life say about leadership and being human. A great read...one worth sharing with your friends and reading again and again yourself.

[James Haner · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEAUTIFUL . . . idea, words, and the book.
Aaron has spelled out exactly what we need to live by and believe "kindness counts."

The book reinforces my ideas on servant leaders in Project Management.
Servant leaders place emphasis on developing project team members to their highest potential by focusing on addressing questions, such as:
▶ Are project team members growing as individuals?
▶ Are project team members becoming healthier, wiser, freer, and more autonomous?
▶ Are project team members more likely to become servant leaders?

I am buying the book for all my teammates . . . and my family.