Ghosted, Cancelled, Disconnected: Is Love Welcome in Leadership?

What happens when love is treated as too soft, too personal, or too uncomfortable for leadership? This shared recording comes from Dr. Mark Rittenberg’s interview with Amy Lynn Durham on the Create Magic at Work podcast. Together, they explore what ghosting, cancellation, and disconnection reveal about the way people avoid conflict, vulnerability, and responsibility in the workplace. Through stories of dialogue, forgiveness, coaching, and human transformation, Dr. Mark makes the case that love belongs in leadership not as sentiment, but as presence, honesty, empathy, and the willingness to stay in relationship when it would be easier to disappear. It leaves us with a deeper question: Can leadership truly serve people if it does not make room for their humanity?The Choreography Of A Connection:Leadership as an Expression of Love – Love becomes practical when leaders build trust, act fairly, remain present, and treat people with empathy, honesty, and humanity.The Hidden Harm of Ghosting – Avoiding an uncomfortable conversation may feel convenient, but the silence can leave another person questioning their worth, choices, and relationships.Dialogue in the Danger Zone – Staying in difficult conversations creates space for understanding without requiring either person to surrender their identity or beliefs.Forgiveness as a New Beginning – Forgiveness allows people and organizations to move beyond imperfection, see one another differently, and remain open to transformation.Coaching as an Act of Service – Deep listening gives leaders a rare place to speak honestly, reconnect with themselves, and become more present for the people they serve.About the Host: Dr. Mark Rittenberg is a Distinguished Teaching Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business, specializing in leadership communication and interpersonal dynamics. He is known for helping individuals and organizations develop authentic leadership presence through human connection and dialogue.With over three decades of global experience, he has worked with Fortune 100 companies, government institutions, and international organizations. He is also the founder of the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute, where he trains leaders and executive coaches from around the world.At the heart of his work is a simple but powerful belief: leadership is rooted in love, expressed through presence, dialogue, and the courage to remain in human connection.https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-rittenberg-bb90214/ Thanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!Subscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.Leave us an Apple Podcasts reviewRatings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Mentioned in this episode:This show was brought to you in part by the Magic Thread Media Network. To learn more visit: https://magicthreadmedia.com/