Leading with kindness

Out of anything he could have said, I appreciated UN Secretary General António Guterres’ tweet on #COVID19 today.  His last point was “be kind – and make no sure no one faces stigma”. 

Kindness surrounds us.  I guess the clue is in the word ‘humankind’.  But there is something about it when we are faced with a difficult situation, it becomes even more apparent and profound.  Or when travelling to unfamiliar surrounds, when we are stuck and confused and feeling incredibly vulnerable. At these times,  a beacon of light will appear. Usually in the form of an incredibly kind human being.

Is there more kindness during these exceptional times?. Or is it because in these situations our hearts are more open than usual. And so we recognise it more clearly?

It would be fair to say that kindness is rarely mentioned in the context of leadership.  But its repercussions resonate profoundly.

Here are 3 different perspectives on being kind.

Random acts

With a big heart and much wit,  humorist Danny Wallace encourages us to undertake daily random acts of kindness in fun and practical ways.

A revolutionary idea

Entrepreneur and activist Anita Roddick encouraged us to dig deep about how we viewed kindness. That it is not just something to be practiced randomly but a truly revolutionary idea that really can change the world.   This includes considering the big questions. Such as, what would it be like if people, society, the health system, business, media, politicians, the criminal justice system, the music industry and religion were required to be more kind?.

Interconnectivity

In honour of the interconnectedness of beings, there is the beautiful Buddhist meditation practice of loving kindness. It invites us to cherish our own heart and bring kindness, acceptance and compassion to one’s self. And then extend it to others. Close and far, to all beings and non-beings.   To widen our circle of care.

However you show your kindness, as Greek writer Aesop penned “no act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted”