Doing the Opposite: Mark A. Mears – The LEAF Model: Leadership, Engagement, Accountability and Fulfilment

2023 is drawing to a close, and this year’s final episode of Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors features a fantastic guest: Mark Mears , the Chief Growth Officer for LEAF Growth Ventures, LLC .

Mark’s journey as a business disruptor began when he worked in marketing and executive management, turning huge US brands around, until he had an epiphany. He realised the main thing missing from most organisations was a sense of purpose and strong leadership. So, he developed the core principles of driving growth through LEAF: Leadership, Engagement, Accountability, and Fulfilment.

We spoke about some of the critical lessons he learned along the way, which you can apply to any business to create deeper meaning for you and your team members.

Here are some of my favourite insights.

Lead with LOVE

Amid the ongoing Great Resignation and rise of ‘quiet quitting’, people are asking more of the organisations and leaders they work for.

“I don’t want to just punch in, punch out, and get a paycheck anymore,” Mark said. “That’s no longer fulfilling. So the idea of ‘LOVE’ as an acronym came to me, which stands for: Listen, Observe, Value, and Empower.”

According to Mark, leading with LOVE is a powerful way to drive higher employee engagement.

“Some of our most basic needs are being loved, seen, and heard,” he explains. “When someone loves us, we tend to reciprocate and love them back. Then you can create an environment where team members think: ‘I could probably get another job somewhere else, but why? I’m in an environment where I feel loved and like I belong.”

The power of language

One part of my conversation with Mark that especially got me thinking was about the power of language and its impact in the workplace.

“Words matter,” he explained. “Imagine being called a team member versus an employee. An employee may be someone who merely works for a paycheck, while a team member plays a valuable role in the team’s success.”

Another distinction Mark made was between what it means to be a boss or manager versus a leader.?

“No one wants to be bossed around, and no one really wants to be managed. We want to be led, we want to follow someone we believe in, who we trust to have our best interests at heart.”

To learn more from this truly inspiring business disruptor, listen to or watch the latest episode of the podcast now.