Russell M. Nelson, said in October 1992: “Leadership by example is paramount. . . . Integrity, honesty, and compassion bring credibility to character. People enjoy making commitments to leaders in whom they have confidence. An effective leader practices conservation of time. His eyes search for new developments. He builds on the strengths of his colleagues and builds them in the process. He deals with his problems without dwelling upon them. He feeds upon opportunities and inspires others with positive expressions of his vision for the future.
He teaches as Paul taught, “by pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, [and] by the armour of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 6:6-7).
To the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord reemphasized similar attributes of leadership. These words are so familiar to us all: “No power of influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:41).
What is love unfeigned mentioned in scriptures? Unfeigned means genuine or real and without pretense. Notice how the thread of love is woven through all the spiritual fabric of leadership training. To that unfeigned love the Lord added that we should lead “by kindness and pure knowledge” Surely there can be no substitute for knowledge. And when it is applied in kindness, people want to respond. They like to accomplish and they love to learn.
In a way, the human being is a strange creature. If commanded to do something, there seems to be a natural inclination to resist or to even rebel. So we have been wisely counselled by the scripture: “Thou shalt not write by way of commandment, but by wisdom” (Doctrine and Covenants 28:5). Therefore do not issue commands. We do much better if we plant a sweet seed of suggestion in soil previously fertilized by mutual love, common objective, and shared vision of the work. (“Drawing Commitments from Others without Undue Pressure or Loss of Agency,” General Authority Training, October 7, 1992) (From his book ‘Teachings of Russell M. Nelson, Deseret Book 2018 p. 185-86)
