Why Adopting Kindness Is Your Ultimate Secret Weapon
Did you know Kindness will your secret weapon in 2020? If you’ve read any of my previous content, you’ll know that I preach being kind, courageous and authentic. Not just in your leadership, but in your business and life too.
I’m putting the spotlight on kindness for this blog, because it’s such a huge part of my message. You might know that one of my goals is to eradicate bullying and poor leadership in our time, and what is the opposite of being mean or aggressive? Being kind.
Even the smallest act of kindness, however insignificant you think it may be, could make someone’s day that bit brighter. Making others feel good for no reason other than to be kind is such a rewarding feeling.
The trouble is that we seem to have this idea in our society that being kind is being weak. We think to be kind means to let people walk all over us, and not challenge or voice our own ideas. Where do you think the stereotypical ‘horrible boss’ comes from? It comes from this frankly ridiculous notion that to be strong, you can’t be kind.
Kindness is the secret weapon.
Gary Vaynerchuk: Kindness is the Ultimate Strength
People should always come before business, and what better way to foster positive relationships than by simply being nice?
Having compassion and empathy for those who don’t treat you the best shows that you care about the person underneath. If you care in a genuine, selfless way, your reputation is going to soar and you’re going to be opening yourself up to more opportunities.
‘Treat the janitor like you would the CEO’ is one of my favourite sayings when it comes to respect and kindness. Because showing kindness is also showing respect. And you never know who you’re interacting with on any given day – the woman you gave your seat to on the train could be the hiring manager at the company you’re on your way to interview at.
Letting the harried-looking man ahead of you in the coffee line could open up a conversation, and help you make a valuable new connection.
What else does being kind do? It encourages your team to stick with you for the long haul. Being shown kindness and knowing they’re valued is one of the main reasons employees stick with their companies.
The Outstanding Leadership Awards 2020 are COMING!
You might see ‘successful’ people being jerks, and mistakenly think that they’re being ‘strong’. These are the worst people to emulate. Nobody wants to stick around for long when they’re working under a big old meanie, do they?
It actually takes incredible strength to be kind, especially to those who may not seem as if they deserve it. It’s the strongest of us who can be kind without expecting anything in return. Being strong enough to show kindness even in front of those who you know see it as weakness is what we should all aspire to?
Basically, we should all live by these words:
Have courage, and be kind.
– Cinderella (2015)
Imagine how much nicer the world would be if we all thought and acted this way?
About McDonald Inc.
Our Leadership Legacy
At McDonald Inc., we know that courageous leaders inspire courageous action. For more than 20 years our founder Sonia McDonald has been nurturing executives, businesses and leadership teams through leadership coaching and leadership programs.
We don’t just train your employees we transform them into courageous leaders. Whether you are looking to continue to develop your high performing leaders and teams or need help turning around a poor leadership culture, McDonald Inc. offers in-house programs and coaching.
Mission
To foster courageous leadership in organisations across the globe by training, mentoring and coaching emerging leaders, team leaders, managers and executives.
Vision
At McDonald Inc. we seek to foster courageous and kind leadership so that the people leave work smiling each day, in turn creating more prosperous and successful businesses.
Brand Values
McDonald Inc. develops the skills, confidence, and leadership of leaders at any point in their journey as well as facilitating cultural transformation. We benefit our clients by assisting them to have higher staff retention, improved performance through teamwork and an overall more profitable bottom line.
Contact us
Website – https://www.mcdonaldinc.com.au/
Email – letschat@mcdonaldinc.com.au
Phone – 1300 719 665
About the Author Sonia McDonald CEO of McDonald Inc and LHQ
Sonia McDonald believes we should lead with kindness, from the heart, doing rather than telling and is known for her mantra ‘Just lead’. She leads by example in all these areas and through her one on one practical coaching, leadership training for teams and organisations encourages others to do the same. Sonia has helped hundreds of people on their leadership journey to become the best version of themselves and in turn, inspire and bring out the best in others.
For more than 25 years, Sonia has been on the front lines of HR. She has held leadership positions worldwide and through experience, research and study come to realise what it takes to be a truly great leader.
Sonia has an ability to speak bravely and authentically about her own development as a leader, personal and career challenges in a way which resonates with her audience. She is recognised as a LinkedIn influencer and has become an in-demand keynote speaker, starts important conversations.
She is an award-winning published author and writes regularly for publications such as The Australian, HRD Magazine, Smart Healthy Women and Women’s Business Media. Sonia has become recognised for her commentary around the topic of leadership, developing work-life balance, championing the up and coming leaders of tomorrow and advocating for women in business and male-dominated industries.
Keynote Topics
Sonia will give you peace of mind when booking a speaker. She is a proven world-class professional speaker with the skills to “rock an audience”. Her energy, empathy, kindness, sensitivity, and humour will enhance any event she appears.
1. Leadership Attitude
2. Just Rock It
3. Leadership for Small Business
4. Leading the Next Generations
5. Courageous Leadership
6. Future Leaders of Leadership
7. New Kindness of Leadership
Phone 1300 719 665
