What if love was more than just a feeling? What if it was the secret ingredient to being a great leader, a better friend, and a more peaceful person? In a recent episode of Behind Beliefs, Behaviors, and the Brain, Dr. Maiysha Clairborne sat down with Jasmine Bellamy, a senior executive and founder of The LOVING Leader framework, to explore just that. Together, they unpacked how leading with love helps us show up fully for ourselves and others—especially when life gets hard.
Here’s how Jasmine breaks it down:
What Does Leading with Love Mean?
Think about the kindest teacher or coach you’ve ever had. They listened to you, they made you feel safe, and they believed in you. That’s what leading with love is like.
Instead of leading with fear or control, leading with love means:
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Listening carefully
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Being open in your heart and mind
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Showing vulnerability (yes, even grownups can feel tender)
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Doing the inner work to be your best self
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Nurturing others and yourself
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Recognizing the gift in every person
This is Jasmine’s LOVING Leader framework—and it’s how she teaches people to become loving leaders in their work and life.
Why Love Matters More Than Ever in Leading with Love
We’re living in uncertain times. There’s fear, anxiety, and lots of people feeling alone. Jasmine says love is the answer to that fear. It connects us when the world tries to tear us apart.
She talks about being a non-anxious presence—someone who stays calm even when everything feels out of control. That calm doesn’t come out of nowhere. It comes from doing the inner work to understand yourself and what matters most to you.
“We were not built to do life alone,” Jasmine says. “We were built for community.”
The Importance of Inner Work in Leading with Love
Before you can pour love into others, you have to fill your own cup. That’s what Jasmine calls “inner work.” It’s like cleaning out your closet—letting go of stuff you don’t need, so you can make room for what’s important.
Inner work helps you:
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Heal from past hurt
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Understand your emotions
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Set healthy boundaries
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Build real confidence
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Grow your capacity to love others
And guess what? You don’t have to do it alone. Jasmine reminds us that community doesn’t have to be huge. “Community means someone other than you,” she says. Even one safe person can help you heal and grow.
Feelings Are Data
Jasmine also teaches that emotions aren’t random. They’re data points—signals from our body that help us understand what’s going on.
Think of it like this:
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Joy = You’re aligned with what matters
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Anger = Something might feel unfair or wrong
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Sadness = You’ve lost something meaningful
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Fear = You need to pay attention
When we learn to listen to our feelings instead of ignoring them, we get better at making decisions that honor our values.
Choosing Joy, Again and Again in Leading with Love
Love, joy, and hope don’t just magically appear. We have to choose them on purpose. Jasmine shares a story about a classmate who gifted her a scarf from a market overseas. That moment—filled with meaning and love—became part of her “joy bank.” It’s a reminder that joy can be built from small moments, if we pause to notice them.
But why do we have to be intentional?
Because while stress hormones like cortisol stay in our bodies for over 24 hours, the feel-good ones (like oxytocin and serotonin) fade much faster. So we have to keep reaching for connection, joy, and love every day.
Leading with Love in Action
Jasmine’s work isn’t just talk. She created the Loving Leader Practice Community, where leaders from different professions come together to practice what it means to lead with love. They learn how to:
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Reflect on their values
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Show up with intention
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Support each other
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Create safe and healing workspaces
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being real, kind, and courageous—especially when it’s hard.
Conclusion:
Leading with love isn’t soft—it’s powerful. It helps people grow, communities heal, and workplaces thrive. And the best part? Anyone can do it.
So whether you’re leading a team, raising a family, or just trying to be a little kinder, leading with love is the way forward.
About Jasmine Bellamy
Jasmine Bellamy is a senior executive leader, culture transformer, and creator of The LOVING Leader framework. She is a love practitioner, joyful destructor, and business and culture transformer. With over 30 years as a senior executive in retail, she has reimagined leadership through love. Holding an MBA, a Master’s in theology, and pursuing a doctorate in global leadership, she is dedicated to leading with love and transforming the marketplace through personal and spiritual growth. Passionate about infusing leadership with empathy and trust, she believes love is essential to thriving workplaces.
Follow Jasmine Bellamy
- Website: http://love101ministries.com/ | https://thelovingleader.org/
- Instagram: @love101ministries
- Facebook: Jasmine Bellamy
- LinkedIn: Jasmine Bellamy | The Loving Leader
- YouTube: Love 101 Ministries
Follow Dr. Maiysha on Social media
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/DrMaiysha
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/DrMaiysha
- Youtube: www.YouTube.com/DrMaiysha
Hosted by: Dr. Maiysha Clairborne
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