Agapao love. The cornerstone of the servant leadership/follower relationship that
Patterson describes is agapao love. Winston (2002) states that agapao means to love
in a social or moral sense. According to Winston (2002), this love causes leaders to
consider each person not simply as a means to an end but as a complete person: one
with needs, wants, and desires. According to Winston, this love is alive and well
today in organizations in which those who demonstrate it follow what Winston calls,
not the Golden Rule, but the Platinum Rule (do unto others as they would want you to
do unto them). Mitroff and Denton (1999, p. 149) write about the importance of
value-based organizations and say that the Golden Rule of “do unto others as you
would have them do unto you” applies to all. For Winston (2002), the same thing is
true of the Platinum Rule, as he advocates in his work on the Beatitudes. Swindoll
(1981) states that servanthood and a true love work hand in hand. Likewise, Ferch
and Mitchell (2001) advocate love as a goal for leaders, and Crom (1998) points out
that servant leaders genuinely care for others and are interested in the lives of
followers. Russell and Stone (2002) posit that love is unconditional for the servant
leader.