19 May Becoming Rumi Article

Nourishment from The Leader’s Muse Institute

“There is no wisdom without love.”

~ Shams of Tabriz

I recently finished a deeply moving novel: The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. This historical fiction reimagines the transformative bond between Rumi and his spiritual companion, Shams of Tabriz. It was Shams who opened Rumi’s heart, awakening him from a scholarly existence into the mystic path of poetry and love—work that continues to resonate worldwide eight centuries later.

“Love has taken away all my practices and filled me with poetry.”

~ Rumi

If you’re drawn to Rumi, historical fiction, or the wisdom path of love, I highly recommend this book. But this article is not a review—it’s an invitation to further explore what I call The Way of Love in leadership. In a previous post, I shared how leading from love fosters creativity, connection, resilience, and well-being. Here, I offer further reflections and practices that draw from Rumi’s own journey and how it may inspire our own.

“Let the eyes of the heart open your vision to vast other worlds.”

~ Rumi

Seeing with the heart, and listening from the heart, expands what’s possible. As Rumi’s transformation shows, it’s only through the heart that we access the poet within—our creative, expressive, authentic self. This inner poet doesn’t live in spreadsheets or performance metrics but in presence, grace, and truth. This perspective is at the core of The Leader’s Muse Institute, which invites us to live and lead with attunement, expression, and wholeness.

Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.

~ Rumi

Imagine moving through the world like a Whirling Dervish—to align with the deeper rhythm of life. We live in uncertain times: political division, economic turbulence, and emotional burnout are on the rise. Our instincts tend to default to stress, fear, and control—yet what we need most are openness, courage, and hope.

The traditional approaches to resilience and change fall short. Studies show rising rates of disengagement, anxiety, and emotional shutdown. Meanwhile, the social contract between companies and employees is shifting; corporate rhetoric around employees as important assets is fading. I recently read a Wall Street Journal article quoting a CEO that workers should “be glad they still have jobs.” This reflects a dangerous shift toward transactional, fear-based leadership.

Only from the heart can you touch the sky.

~ Rumi

This is where love enters the picture to provide a balm; an antidote to the fear. More than ever, we need leaders who generate spaces of belonging and collective intelligence. Spaces that cultivate trust and elevate purpose. This is not idealism—it is the only sustainable path forward in a rapidly changing world.

Wherever you are and whatever you do, be in love. ~ Rumi
Love, in leadership, is not sentimental—it’s structural. It dissolves fear, softens our armor, and creates room for emergence. In the presence of real care—whether from a friend, mentor, or leader—we begin to breathe differently. Defenses drop. Creativity rises. Safety becomes embodied. Love, then, becomes the context for clarity, growth, and meaningful action.

There is a candle in your heart ready to be kindled.

~ Rumi

Modern science supports this ancient truth. Studies from HeartMath reveal the heart emits a measurable electromagnetic field that influences not only our own nervous systems but those around us. Leadership rooted in heart coherence isn’t just poetic—it’s physiological. Presence is the access point.

Be soulful. Be kind. Be in love.

~ Rumi

Yes, there’s a business case for love in leadership—but even more compelling is the soul case. When we deny our own capacity to love and be loved in our work, we slowly erode our sense of wholeness. It is soul-depleting to live out of alignment with our deepest truths, to lead without heart, to relate without compassion.

The Way of Love is not a luxury—it is a necessity. For ourselves. For others. For the world we are shaping together.

SUGGESTED WAY TO WORK WITH THIS ARTICLE

Think about what happens for you when you’re in the presence of love – of how you feel when you’re with someone who truly, unconditionally loves and cares about you. What you might notice is that something within you relaxes and there is space for something new to arise in you. The energy we spend – often unconsciously – guarding, protecting and defending ourselves often relaxes when we’re in the presence of love. We tend to feel a safety and security – a sense that everything will somehow be okay. A sense of trust in the rhythm of life arises. With this comes an inner spaciousness from which new perspectives and possibilities can be seen. A sense of freedom from which to authentically move. This authentic movement is a stark contrast from the movement of fight, flight or freeze stress reactions that tend to be counter productive (unless of course we’re faced with a real-life hungry tiger!).

We also invite you to engage with this post as a way of anchoring your learnings and staying connected with us. Please share your thoughts below and share with your community as a way of extending the ripple effect.

Thank you! And may love guide your way.  ~ Ipek