“People will always remember how you made them feel much more than what you may have said. Kindness is just a manifestation of basic respect for other people. I’ve found that treating the people I have the privilege to lead with kindness, respect and common decency, significantly increases their willingness to go the extra mile to deliver great results. Kindness must not be at the expense of performance… just the opposite; it can be a powerful, cultural accelerator of performance.”

Alan Jope

“Have a mindset of respect and trust; give value to others; place yourself in their shoes so you can understand the sensitivities and dynamics of relationships you seek to build; place importance on the little things as much as the big things and follow through with action on the words that you say or promises you make. Lead by example so that you can inspire those around you to do the same and slowly build a culture of kindness that empowers all.”

Ana Margarita Hontiveros-Malvar

“I don’t want to avoid the question but I think I have to point out that kindness is not only essential for leaders, whoever they may be, it is essential for all of us. We owe it to each other to be kind. That is very basic but it is also totally true.”

“From a team management point of view, this kind of leadership is all about relationships and consistency. If you can support and honour your team, not just when things are going well, they will thrive.”

Jurgen Klopp

“I think of kindness as care, generosity and consideration. In a world where there is high stress, lots of uncertainty and scarcity of resources, kindness creates a safe nurturing space. These safe spaces allow people to grow, heal and innovate. It’s contagious. Knowing that there is a leader in your organisation, someone who is invested in you, also allows people to look beyond themselves and for the wider organisation, including their co-workers.”

Karen Teo

“Leadership is the acceptance of responsibility, not the assumption of power. The responsibility you hold is primarily to those you serve, not the performance targets you are trying to drive. Consequently, your reputation
is your credibility as a leader – people will always remember how you made them feel and word gets around. You will inevitably have to make difficult and unpopular decisions, to have tough conversations and say no. That’s leadership. But you can still be kind. Kindness isn’t about people pleasing, it isn’t about being ‘nice’ or about being weak. It’s about having compassion, considering others, doing what you can to make a difference to others and making time for people.”

Rhona Hunt

“Kindness enables authenticity and encourages a growth mindset in the team. Values I believe are important but often left out by leaders who are too focused on the goals and outputs. I learned in leading a mental health organization that it is important to create and nurture that space where one feels safe and protected to be vulnerable and live their true and best self. Allowing one to be authentically themselves, creates an enabling and healthy environment for them and others to grow and flourish. Leading with kindness creates that culture among the team that radiates not only to the members of the organization but is palpable wherever they are or whoever will be working outside the organization.”

Roy Dahildahil

“For me, kindness is something very personal because it was also modeled to me by my leader. Going through some professional struggles a few years ago, I had a very difficult time coping with what I needed to do. My leader saw that and held space for me to feel what I needed to feel and share what I needed to share. Her compassion allowed me to be authentic to myself and acknowledge my situation with grace.”

Chelsea Elizabeth Samson

Please share any tips on creating a culture of kindness at work (this can be online too!)
‘I believe creating a culture of kindness starts with modelling the behaviour ourselves – everyone has their part to play. By demonstrating kindness every day, in every interaction, we contribute to the cumulative effect of how people interact across the organisation. Kindness has to come from a place of authenticity, where there is a genuine interest in others by being helpful, generous or considerate.’

Darren Khong

Embedding kindness in a company starts with a leader defining what ‘kindness’ means to them. This might be always considering others, supporting and encouraging people, or being honest and vulnerable with their team. Once a leader has a clear idea of what kindness looks like to them, they can communicate this to their team, which may be through a written list of company values or simply talking about kindness. Importantly, the leader should also communicate this through their actions, embodying the behaviours they would like to see in others.

Ameesha Green

Kindness is a value that is critical to teams and companies pursuing high performance in today’s competitive environment. It is rarely mentioned as a leadership style nor is it a measurable outcome in company strategies / priorities. It’s about sincerity, consistency and humility when engaging at all levels of the organisation. It requires effort and persistence – especially in challenging situations.

Arlene Gan