Entrepreneurs, Business Owners & Leaders: Be Kind

KINDNESS.

It sounds basic and irrelevant when brought up in discussion regarding high level leadership skills; but, in the personal and professional development space, kindness is emerging as a key quality to have in overall success. In elementary school, one of the very first moral principles we learn is the Golden Rule: “Do unto Others as You Want Others to Do unto You.” There are many things we learn in school throughout the years; however, as simple as it is, kindness is one theory every entrepreneur, business owner and leader should hold as a foundational tenet in their work.

It feels a tad trite to define kindness since we all generally have a common understanding of what it means; but, once we connect the meaning of kindness to Emotional Intelligence (EQ), it is clear how the principle of kindness is key leadership strategy.  In my previous blog post, “Emotional Intelligence is a Key to Success,” I defined EQ as the ability to understand and manage your emotions; as well as recognize and influence the emotions of others around you.

The bottom line is leadership is about influence.

You can have all the degrees, certifications, and years of experience under your belt in the world; but if you cannot change someone’s thought process or move others to act then essentially you are ineffective as an Entrepreneur, Business Owner or Leader.

To change thought processes and move others into action you must understand that these are rooted in emotional responses. It parallels motivation and empowerment. Kindness includes the consideration of issues within us/around us and concern for how they impact us & others; paired with intentional action to make it easier to be & feel human. So, when it comes to kindness, ultimately it begins inward before you can express it outwards. Kindness is how we treat ourselves and in turn how we treat others: which impacts everything we do.

Here are three areas in which you should be intentional in terms of practicing the kindness principle to have a greater impact, and increase your influence as Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Leaders:

Be Kind to Yourself

Consider this quote by Buddhist & Mindfulness Practitioner, Jack Kornfield, “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” Better yet, consider a quote/lyric by Kanye West, “The people highest up have the lowest self-esteem.” It is common for high-achieving people to be highly critical of themselves. And I am confident in my assumption that if you are an Entrepreneur, Business Owner or Leaders then you fall into the category of high-achieving people. Self-criticism can be good when it comes to self-motivation and moving yourself into action; but self-criticism can quickly turn to self-pity if not channeled correctly. A lot of it has to do with your inner voice. Being kind to yourself sometimes takes work. Counteract your self-sabotaging thoughts with positive ones. A belief is simply a thought that you keep thinking. You can actually transform your beliefs by intentionally choosing your thoughts. This is one of the reasons people use affirmations. Affirmations is a tool to re-train your brain and when used consistently they are powerful because they release you from negativity, doubt, uncertainty, and anxiety.  Look up positive affirmations that you can repeat daily or write down somewhere you will see it regularly. This is a simple way to start being more kind to yourself.

Be Kind to Your Business Partners, Colleagues, and Team

As a Training & Development Specialist, team development is a common inquiry from organizations as many experience things like high turnover, low engagement, and low productivity. It’s in these dynamics when common sense isn’t as common a one would think. That is in no way meant to be offensive; but a reality check as research shows that poor team relations is directly tied to poor leadership. People excel on environments where they feel appreciated, safe, and understood. Creating that type of culture in the workplace requires the use of the kindness principle. Period. Here is something to consider: strong leadership and kind leadership is not something that is mutually exclusive. You can be strong and kind. Being a kind leader does not make you a weak leader; in fact, it demonstrates you have the confidence to treat everyone with respect.

Kindness empowers people to lead with positivity, purpose, and an open-mindedness that embraces innovation. A lot of this comes down to trust. If leaders show kindness, they accelerate trust and in turn create more happy, empowered employees, who will be inspired to deliver better results. A team who trust their leader (who trust the team) will feel safer, which is a key factor in productivity.

Be Kind to Your Clients and Customer Base

Think about this: your client/customer base may not know your vision statement, how your first quarter sales went, or your marketing strategy; but they know how you or your business made them feel. Sites like Yelp and Google Reviews have shed so much light on the lack of good customer service in a way that has never been exposed before. Customer satisfaction has steadily been declining across many industries and one attributing factor is that companies, and business owners are focusing on parts of the business that does not directly add value to the customer or client.  From bedside manners in healthcare to service (or lack thereof) in retail, it is clear that customers do not feel appreciated nor valued; and, as oversimplified as it may seem-kindness has the potential to make a huge shift. The phrase “the customer is always right” derived from two business pioneers who realized that their success was literally dependent on how happy their customers were; and even though there are mixed feelings about this statement, the point is to be reminded that your customers/clients deserve kindness if nothing else. Not only do they deserve it, but ultimately your success as an Entrepreneur, Business Owner or Leader is contingent upon it.

So…If you are searching for ways to level up your leadership skills that transcends beyond hard skills and data, then exploring ways to deepen your Emotional Intelligence is a way to do so. Kindness is a simple yet powerful strategy to start with. Lead with kindness.

Keep in Mind: Be Kind

Until Next Time, In Greatness,

Coach Shara