Kindness, another way to say Leadership

Nov 26, 2020

Kindness is Leadership

The pandemic has challenged managers as never before, but one powerful leadership strategy is being overlooked, as Boris Groysberg and Susan Seligson say in their Harvard Business Review Article “Good Leadership Is an Act of Kindness”.

Be kind.

“Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.”

Henry James

Read Article

“People can actually build up their compassion ‘muscle’ and respond to others’ suffering with care and a desire to help,”

Ritchie Davidson, University of Wisconsin

Great leaders attest that it is not a sign of weakness or relinquishing authority to be consistently kind and to offer encouragement and show genuine interest in employees’ mental well-being in punishing times. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, at once forceful and compassionate, remarked that one of the criticisms she’s faced over the years is that “I’m not aggressive enough or assertive enough, or maybe somehow, because I’m empathetic, it means I’m weak. I totally rebel against that. I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate and strong”

What can CEOs and managers do to infuse their leadership with kindness and empathy?

Groysberg and Seligson share some effective ways to practice kindness as a matter of course:

“I hear you.” Really listen. Be fully present and don’t judge. Encourage employees’ questions and concerns.

“Are you okay?” Show a willingness to provide comfort and monitor for signs of distress such as social withdrawal and poor performance.

“What can we do to help?” Being kind might also involve taking an active role in offering mental health resources or creating a virtual support group or sounding board.

“How are you managing these days?”. For employees experiencing the pangs of social isolation, one company launched daily virtual coffee breaks. For those working while caring for children, leaders must be sensitive to issues of exhaustion and the difficulty of working during pre-pandemic office hours.

“I’m here for you.” Let your employees know routinely that you are there for them when they need to share concerns or simply require a sympathetic, nonjudgmental ear.

“I know you’re doing the best you can.” This statement is, with few exceptions, true. In scores of first-person accounts and on social media, people are reporting they are working harder than they did pre-COVID. This makes perfect sense; as layoffs and furloughs skyrocket, employees live in fear of losing their jobs.

“Thank you.” Say it with sincerity and say it often.

kindness is one of the most essential soft skills for good leadership. But in these times, it might be the most crucial one. To paraphrase Henry David Thoreau, kindness is an investment that never fails.

Read Article

Post-Pandemic Business Guidelines

May 5, 2020

Post-Pandemic Guidelines

Harvard Business Review Article, written by Carsten Lund Pedersen and Thomas Ritter

“The management theorist Henry Mintzberg famously defined strategy as 5 Ps: plan, ploy, pattern, position, and perspective. We have adapted his framework to propose our own 5 Ps: position, plan, perspective, projects, and preparedness. The following questions can guide you as you work to bounce back from the crisis”.

Read Article

It can be good to take a moment and start working on the following questions prepared by these two authors, in order to help us confront the world outside when the confinement is over and the market, business, and social life are slowly back again to real. This is a new scenario for all of us, but the goal here is simply to adapt the management tools to this new situation. Now, more than ever, we need to think big and get as many learnings as possible to strengthen our team and objectives. We hope these questions are useful in your way!

These two authors have also prepared a WORKSHEET to work better on your corona crisis strategy for your project or company. You can also download the PDF version here:

Download Worksheet

1. What position can you attain during and after the pandemic?

“To make smart strategic decisions, you must understand your organization’s position in your environment. Who are you in your market, what role do you play in your ecosystem, and who are your main competitors? You must also understand where you are headed. Can you shut down your operations and reopen unchanged after the pandemic? Can you regain lost ground? Will you be bankrupt, or can you emerge as a market leader fueled by developments during the lockdown?”

2. What is your plan for bouncing back?

“The lack of a plan only exacerbates disorientation in an already confusing situation. When drawing up the steps you intend to take, think broadly and deeply, and take a long view”.

3. How will your culture and identity change?

“It’s crucial to consider how your perspective might evolve. How prepared was your organization culturally to deal with the crisis? Will the ongoing situation bring your employees together or drive them apart? Will they see the organization differently when this is over? Your answers will inform what you can achieve when the pandemic ends”.

4. What new projects do you need to launch, run, and coordinate?

“The challenge is to prioritize and coordinate initiatives that will future-proof the organization”

5. How prepared are you to execute your plans and projects?

“The resources at hand, along with the speed and quality of decision-making processes, vary greatly, and the differences will determine who achieves and who falls short of success”

About the authors:

Carsten Lund Pedersen is an assistant professor at the Department of Marketing at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark, where he researches B2B digitization strategies, employee autonomy, and market strategies in times of change.

Thomas Ritter is a professor of market strategy and business development at the Department of Strategy and Innovation at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark, where he researches business model innovation, market strategies, and market management.