Maitland business leaders and owners attending this week's Maitland Business Chamber breakfast meeting will be told that learning to dispense tough love will help them to boost business performance and productivity.

Hunter-based business and leadership coach and author Shivani Gupta is the keynote speaker at the event to be held at the Mecure Maitland tomorrow morning.

Shivani, the self described “Workplace Love Guru”, said that people should not be afraid of bringing more love for customers and for staff back into business.

“All the research shows that when we love what we do we are more likely to be creative, passionate and successful,” Shivani said. 

“When your staff love coming to work or feel loved or valued at work they are more likely to be more loyal and productive.”

She said business owners need to be espousing a special kind tough love.

“Too often business leaders and managers show either a too soft an engagement style or show a hard line performance management style. A more loving organisation shouldn't mean you get taken advantage of; you need to have the tough conversations when necessary.”

In her book and training course called Tough Love for Leaders Shivani uses eight ancient Sanskrit principles (four love and four tough principles) from her homeland in India. She said they are very relevant in showing leaders how to give tough love in the workplace. 

“You must first introduce love in the workplace. When you have successfully done that it is easier to be tough when you need to be.”

Shivani is the founder and CEO of the Hunter based leadership coaching firm Passionate People Institute, an author, international keynote speaker and Fairfax business columnist.