Kindness Keeps Giving
Kindness is contagious, creating a ripple effect of compassionate heart-centered tenderness which gets passed from soul to soul.
When someone experiences kindness it brings with it healing grace for both the giver and receiver. The soul responds to kindness. Once received and felt it is far more likely to be passed along to others. Kindness can be a warm plate of food to hungry belly, a tender word at a vulnerable time, helping someone carry a heavy load or get out of a tough spot. It can be a listening ear, an understanding heart, a smile, an uplifting message, and a gentle touch filled with support. No matter how it’s expressed, kindness impacts. It takes a leader to be kind when others are not, in the face of cruelty or challenges.
Treating others with dignity and respect is a hallmark of an empathetic leader. In work environments kindness increases productivity, improves well-being, and decreases turn over. Children do better in school and have a greater chance of thriving in life when treated with kindness. It lowers stress, boosts self-esteem, creates stronger social-connections, improves romantic relationships, reduces anxiety and depression.
Kindness towards yourself improves your resilience, your belief in your abilities, your willingness to take risks, and centers your leadership in compassion bringing good-heartedness, positivity, generosity and goodwill. Nature nourished leadership encourages kindness toward the natural world and all its inhabitants.
Today, think about kindness and how it has impacted you as a person and as a leader. What difference have you seen it make in the lives of others? Also, pay it forward with a random act of kindness and notice how you feel.
Do you feel kindness is important as a leader?