Love in leadership may feel unconventional, but it drives trust, belonging, and performance. The strongest teams succeed because they genuinely care for and support each other.

On Thursday night, things got tight. Messy. Hard to score. But the Illini rose. Tonight, the stage gets even bigger. Elite Eight. Illinois vs. Iowa. Final Four on the line. And I’ll be honest, I love where we are. Because Illinois is expected to be here, and frankly, Iowa wasn’t. A month ago, people weren’t even sure Iowa would make the tournament. Now they’re one game away from the Final Four. And if you strip away the jerseys for a second, this is again about leadership—and

Resilience in leadership is what separates good teams from great ones. When pressure builds and momentum slows, leaders must help teams adapt, trust, and perform.