When CEOs Could Say "I Love You" To Their Employees

“I believe Emmanuel Macron should have addressed the country with tenderness; people needed love,” said the deputy François Ruffin on air after the French President’s speech about Covid.

In only a few seconds, the potential lack of love and tenderness from leaders became a national question. With the season of General Assemblies underway, the timing was right.

Will the CEOs feel such love for their employees that they will dare to express their feelings during the AGM? Erik Leleu, the former HR director of the Vinci group, stated publicly, “You mustn't just respect people; you have to love them—from the chairman to the worker.”

This is indeed a complex subject. First of all, love takes time. Second, key performance indicators (KPIs) for tenderness are not easy to define, and there is no award for the most loving boss of the year; even Forbes hasn't tackled this issue. Third, non-financial rating agencies funded by investment funds suggest that it can be as profitable to rate sentimentality as it is to rate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors.

Year after year, speeches at AGMs have become more cold than warm, more depressing than inspiring. Leaders talk about "diagnoses," as if they were suffering from an illness.

Just as we were about to give up on the topic, a female chairperson, whom we will call Ariana, shouted passionately, “And tenderness, dammit!!! Does it have to be explained?”

A CEO, more in touch with his humanity than his peers, was moved by Ariana's outburst. He asked: “Please tell us what is a loving company, Adriana, when companies are by nature mercenary and potentially unsentimental?”

“I believe that when you love a company, you stay with it even if it isn’t the best option for you. You remain loyal, even when you know you can get a better deal elsewhere. You dedicate yourself to it without counting, even when overtime goes unpaid. You defend the company, despite its imperfections, and you mourn it when you retire.”

Applause erupted in the room; CEOs appreciate committed employees. Then Adriana shifts the conversation to another tone:

“What tokens of love does your company offer in return? How does it show love beyond remuneration and bonuses?”

Faced with the stunned silence of the audience, Ariana pressed on.

“Let me share with you the moment when I truly felt I was loved in my company. That happened when I saw that they believed in me enough to give me professional responsibilities based on my potential. I appreciated being given not just security but also the freedom that made me feel honored. I felt obligated by their trust rather than coerced into compliance. It was my success in life, not just in my career, that my managers cared about. It was an existential lift, not merely a social lift, they provided me with. It was my very being, not just my asset, that I developed. They contributed significantly to the woman manager I have become today.”

Facing the circumspect expressions around her, she concluded, “I hope that we will not confine ourselves to our own interests but will choose to serve. Tenderness indeed brings wealth. Let’s declare our love to our employees from now on in General Assemblies.”

Sentimentalement vôtre.

Crédit photo : © ASTER pour L. Herman DR