Genuine leadership is what it truly takes to transform an organizational environment to one in which quality intertwines with every fabric of its culture.

“Love and Profit” demonstrates a strong, genuine, and innovative way to lead people by relying on four basic principles: honesty, trust, special treatment, and courage.

James Autry is a former Fortune 500 executive and CEO of Meredith Publishing Corporation. In this video, he vividly shows:


1. Why caring leadership promotes the real purpose of business,

2. How caring leadership helps you find and keep good people,

3. Why the work place must be a community that is supportive of each worker in it,

4. Why leaders must “grab every opportunity to demonstrate that joy and celebration are part of the work experience” — but also “care enough to be tough.”


Effective leaders of the future must recognize that the success and well-being of management depends on the well-being of employees (and vice versa), create and communicate an environment of support within which each employee has the opportunity to do his/her best, demonstrate real “toughness” by having high expectations for others (including personal growth), and commit to providing development opportunities, education and training to the employee.

Leaders may not always be able to guarantee permanent employment, but they can prepare people to be more employable. Autry believes that “management is people…nothing but people” and, for those looking for status, warns “I’ve had to fire people who loved the job, but I don’t believe I’ve ever fired anyone who loved the work.”

An excellent workbook is included (as well as facilitator manual) that summarizes key points of the video and contains good discussion exercises. The very first exercise is for people to come up with what he calls “if onlys,” e.g., “If only someone could do or say … then maybe Jim (Bev, Fred, etc.) might be able to do a better job …” These “if onlys” are all potential areas of caring leadership for you and your company. However, he doesn’t let the participants off the hook. The very last exercise asks them to revisit their “if onlys,” add to the list, and, for each one, asks them to list “What I can do…”

Autry radiates honesty, integrity, warmth, and sincerity. His style is very understated, occasionally quite humorous, and thoroughly engaging. He is also a poet and uses three of his poems to convey his experiences. This is not warmed over “management platitudes 101.” People have confided to me that parts of this video brought them close to tears. He goes right to your heart…AND tells you what YOU can do about it! In my seminars, I use Morris Massey’s “Just GET It!” to warm the participants up, then show Autry as a 180-degree contrast. It is quite effective and creates honest, non-dumping, non-defensive, constructive dialogue about cultural issues…and “what we can do about it.”