How does being kind have a positive effect on your leadership goals? Kindness is a concept taught in most major philosophies and religions in the world today, but you don’t need a specific spiritual belief system in order to impart kindness into your leadership. We are taught as children to be kind, generous and to care for those around us, as in turn, they will be kind back to us. Obviously, in individual situations, a kind approach can be applied when leading your team, but in a more general way, how can you be #BeKind as Leader?
Maria Gamb offers 4 “Be’s” to consider when trying to embrace Kindness in your Value-Based Leadership approach:
- Be of Service
“A good leader, a kind leader, helps to remove obstacles so a team member can do their job to the best of their ability”. Through coaching and support, a kind leader is of service to their team members. - Be a Guardian
You are the guardian of your team, ensuring that they get the recognition with you and you are not the only one in the spotlight. - Be Generous
Be aware of what your team need – whether it’s encouragement, inclusion, honesty, or something else – and provide it generously. Give them what they need to succeed - Be Diligent
When considering the ramifications of your decisions and actions on others, use kindness and common sense.
Kindness as a leader may be most noticeable in tough times, perhaps because that is where it is least expected, but it should be integrated into your daily leadership seamlessly and without fanfare. If you are only kind in order to receive praise in return, you risk looking like an attention-seeker. In Value-Based Leadership, we should work to embody kindness without waiting to be acknowledged for it. As a Leader, when we can be anything to our team, it is our responsibility to be kind.