✨ A Christmas Dream for Non-Christmas Times 🎄

The festive season has a special kind of magic. It’s the time of year when light shines through the darkness—literally in the Northern Hemisphere and metaphorically across the world. 

There’s a quiet shift in our behavior. We reach out more. We give more than we take. We lend a hand to those in need.

It’s as if, for a brief moment, the pendulum of our emotions—those primal roots of fear and love—swings in favor of love.

But what if this magic wasn’t confined to just a few days of the year?

What if the spirit of Christmas—this sense of connection, compassion, and purpose—became the foundation for leadership in our organizations, politics, and society all year round?

The Two Forces: Fear vs. Love

As you know, at the root of all human decisions are two opposing forces: fear and love.

🔹 Fear is the domain of the mind. It’s wired for survival—constantly on the lookout for what could go wrong. It’s defensive, calculating, and driven by scarcity. Fear whispers: “Protect yourself. Outperform them. Take what you can before someone else does.”

🔹 Love, on the other hand, comes from the heart. It’s expansive, generous, and connected. Love doesn’t compete—it collaborates. It doesn’t hoard—it shares. It doesn’t divide—it unites.

And here’s the tricky part: in business and leadership, fear often disguises itself as rationality. We’re taught to chase short-term wins, outmaneuver competitors, and protect our reputation. We justify it as “just the way things are.”

But when leaders operate from fear, the results are clear: stressed teams, toxic cultures, short-sighted decisions, and a growing disconnect from purpose.

The Dream

About 15 years ago, I had a dream. Not the kind of dream you forget when you wake up, but a vision that stuck with me, almost like a calling.

I imagined the World Economic Forum (WEF)—back when it still carried a reputation of hope and forward-thinking action. I saw a grand conference room filled with hundreds of the world’s most influential leaders: heads of state, CEOs of global corporations, NGO directors, and decision-makers.

They had come into the room with friendly smiles and polished appearances. But underneath, their agendas were clear:

• What’s the best deal I can make for my organization?
• Who do I need to meet to get ahead?
• How can I secure my influence, my recognition, my gain?

It was leadership driven by ego—leaders motivated by personal interest, external rewards, and fear of loss. Sound familiar?

And then, in my dream, something magical happened. 

A performance—more an experience than a presentation—shifted something in those leaders. Over two hours, they softened. The noise of ego quieted. The pendulum swung toward love.

They left that room with:

✅ A new sense of purpose over profit—where success wasn’t just measured by earnings but by positive impact.

✅ Clarity on the greater consequences of their decisions—beyond quarterly results, beyond their own careers.

✅ A deep feeling of connectedness—to themselves, to others, and to something much larger than individual ambition.

✅ An inner calm and peace—a knowing that leadership is about service, not control.

In my dream, they went back to their nations, companies, and organizations and began to lead differently. 

Decisions were made with integrity. Systems were changed to foster collaboration, sustainability, and human well-being.

The ripple effect was extraordinary.

The Reality Check

Of course, it was just a dream. And 15 years later, the world hasn’t quite caught up.

If anything, the challenges facing us—climate change, social inequalities, economic uncertainty, and global unrest—have only grown.

Leadership driven by ego and fear is still very much alive:

• Politicians clinging to power instead of serving their people.
• Corporations prioritizing short-term profits over long-term sustainability.
• Organizations competing to "win" while leaving their people exhausted and disconnected.

But am I a dreamer? Absolutely.

As John Lennon once said, “I hope I’m not the only one.”

Because here’s the thing: fear got us here, but love can lead us forward.

Love as a Leadership Strategy

Inspired by a vibrating Xmas Breathwork I gave last Sunday a question popped up in me:

What would it look like if we choose love—not just for two days in December, but every single day of the year?

In business, “choosing love” doesn’t mean abandoning logic or strategy. It means leading with compassion, connection, and a commitment to long-term impact. 

It means prioritizing people over profits—knowing that when people thrive, profits follow.

Leading with love looks like this:

• Understanding your people—what they need to grow, to feel seen, and to contribute their best.
• Supporting others—not out of obligation, but because lifting others up lifts the whole organization.
• Focusing on collaboration over competition—building partnerships where everyone wins.
• Thinking long-term—making decisions today that create sustainable success for tomorrow.

The benefits are clear: engaged teams, more trust, greater innovation, and leaders who inspire. And yes, even profits will follow—because companies driven by purpose outperform those driven by fear.

The Christmas Dream: A Choice Worth Making

I know what you might be thinking: “That’s idealistic. It’s not how the real world works.”

But here’s my challenge to you:

What if it could?

What if you were the leader who made the first move—who chose love over fear, connection over ego, and purpose over short-term gain?

Because change doesn’t happen overnight. It happens when individuals—leaders like you—make conscious choices to lead differently.

So, as the year draws to a close and the holidays approach, here’s my invitation to you:

Let’s not leave the spirit of Christmas behind when the calendar turns. Let’s bring it with us—into our boardrooms, teams, organizations, and decisions.

Let’s create a world where leadership is defined not by fear, control, or competition but by connection, wisdom, and purpose.

It starts with each of us.

From my heart to yours, I wish you a season filled with light, love, and the courage to lead differently. 

Because dreams are powerful—but action makes them real.

Merry Christmas ✨✨

Dr. Till