Kindness Can Unlock 10x Doors
We all had an opportunity to learn about kindness when we stepped foot into our kindergarten classrooms. But what does kindness mean? What does it look like? Can one be an effective leader if they are kind?
My definition of kindness is a genuine act of service to lift another human up. No matter how big or small the gesture is.
Kindness comes in many different shapes and sizes. It can be as simple as holding the door open for someone or as big as picking up the tab for a stranger's dinner table.
Storytime
I recently moved to Los Angeles from Eugene, OR, and to say I felt out of place would be an understatement. I felt like an outsider in one of the biggest cities in the US, let alone the world.
But, I had a supervisor at my basketball coaching job who made me feel welcome. We went to coffee together multiple times, and he made me feel better about being in a big city.
Then, he left to pursue his dreams in film directing, and I was incredibly bummed. It reminded the power we all have to impact people and influence an organization.
But, in came a new supervisor of mine. My first instinct was to introduce myself and make sure he felt comfortable. Even though he has lived in LA his entire life, it doesn't make starting a new job any easier.
To this day, he still tells everyone I am the one who made him feel comfortable and welcome in the company. Next thing you know, he is referring to me for other jobs where I have an opportunity to pick up more coaching hours.
Kindness Opens Doors
I had no intention of picking up more coaching hours by including and being kind to my supervisor. But, it did, and who knows what other doors can be opened through the power of kindness.
Now, we shouldn't expect to be kind to someone and instantly have a door opened for us. Expecting something in return defeats the purpose of kindness. Often we will be consistently kind to the people around us, and nothing will happen.
But being kind isn't about "me." It's about we. It's about remembering that we aren't the only humans on this earth. It's about including people, being kind to them, and loving our people.
As a leader, it isn’t just possible to be kind and effective. It’s a requirement.
