Does kindness have a role in leadership?

Does kindness have a role in leadership?

It is the holiday season and the time of year to show “good will” toward our fellow man. The holidays spark an upsurge in charitable giving, volunteering, and expressions of gratitude. This type of kindness is something we work hard to instill in our children and, hopefully, embody ourselves all year round.

As I was this thinking about kindness, it got me wondering about its role in leadership, or even if there is a role. Leaders, even in good times, are tasked with making difficult decisions every day. Now enter COVID-19 and those difficult decisions have become even harder—sometimes devastatingly harder. So many business leaders are struggling just to keep their doors open and have had to make difficult decisions to do so. They’ve had to cut pay, institute furloughs and layoffs, and significantly reduce services. And then there are those who’ve had to shut down operations altogether—sometimes permanently. These leaders have had to have many difficult conversations, even as they face uncertainties themselves. You want to keep your business open to protect the livelihoods of team members, but you also want to do what’s right to keep those team members, customers, and the community safe.

While we can all agree there is nothing “kind” about being on the receiving end of a business decision that impacts your livelihood, I would argue that it is during times of crisis such as these that kindness is needed the most. Take the case of Redfin Corporation. In March, right at the beginning of the pandemic, CEO Glenn Kelman announced that he, along with the entire management team, would be giving up their cash bonuses for the remainder of the year. This decision was made not just to keep costs down, but also so that they could increase the fixed pay of the company’s real estate agents who get paid primarily based on home sales. Even though it was early in the pandemic, the company’s leadership knew the negative impact the pandemic might have on home sales and they took swift—kind—action.

Auto insurance companies are another example of kindness in leadership. Many chose to give refunds and credits to policyholders, or to significantly reduce premiums, as a way to help offset the financial hardships caused by COVID-19. Altogether, these companies are estimated to have given $2 billion back to its customers. After the pandemic passes, how do you think these customers and agents are going to respond to their company’s acts of kindness? My guess is with increased loyalty and appreciation.

While these types of actions may be easier for corporations with large budgets and ample financial resources, they may not be possible in smaller businesses. But there are things leaders of all sizes of businesses can do to increase kindness during these trying times and beyond.

A study conducted by Gallup about what citizens need most from leaders during times of crisis found four fundamental things: trust, compassion, stability, and hope. I would add kindness to this mix.

The fact is that we all want to see and feel these attributes from our leaders and each other, whether in our work or family life.  As a leader, I live by a simple yet powerful short list that helps remind me of what it is important.  When I think of the attributes that make up kindness, my list is Transparency, Empathy, Dependability, and Trustworthiness.

·         Leading with Transparency means clearly and consistently communicating the values, mission, and consequences of decisions and how those decisions impact all stakeholders.

·         Leading with Empathy means understanding the circumstances of all stakeholders, in particular team members, being compassionate and considerate to their issues and concerns

·         Leading with Dependability means keeping the values and mission in the forefront and behaving in a manner that is consistent with those values. In other words, lead by example.

·         Leading with Trustworthiness means doing what is right for team members, customers, and the organization and when action has impacts, communicating those impacts with empathy, and clarity. 

This holiday season is going to be different for us all and the need for kindness and charity has never been greater. While business leaders may not be able to take away the pain of loss—both financial and personal—you can make sure all your decisions and actions are grounded in kindness.

Happy Holidays to all.

For additional reading:

The Business Case for Kindness by Cherie Crim

To come out ahead of a crisis, lead with compassion. Fast Company