Sir Richard Branson Recommends Kindness

As a LinkedIn Editorial Top Voice, I bring a unique blend of roles. I am a recognized thought leader, a published author, a seasoned educator, and an experienced strategy trainer and facilitator. This diverse background allows me to offer insights that can significantly enhance the performance of existing or emerging leaders and their organizations.

The Biggest Factor of Great Leadership

In a recent Ask Richard LinkedIn newsletter article, Sir Richard Branson was asked, "What is the biggest factor of great leadership?" He answers, “People often underestimate the simple power of kindness.” As a highly successful entrepreneur of the Virgin Group, now controlling over 400 companies, he appears to be someone whose advice on leadership we should consider.

Kindness is beneficial for all and is mandatory for those who are seeking true success, no matter the goal. - Adrienne Bankert

What is Kindness?

Bankert is the author of Your Hidden Superpower: The Kindness That Makes You Unbeatable at Work and Connects You with Anyone. She describes kindness as a game-changer for business and the key to authenticity and confidence. It is a superpower we should hone so that kindness becomes a habit that leads to remarkable opportunities. The Kindness is Everything website defines it as “the sincere and voluntary use of one’s time, talent, and resources to better the lives of others, one’s own life, and the world through genuine acts of love, compassion, generosity, and service.” All essential elements of a successful leadership approach.

Kindness as a Cornerstone

A cornerstone can be something seen as essential, fundamental, and indispensable. If we agree that kindness meets these criteria, understanding how it can benefit an organization is vital. The critical reasons for embracing kindness as a leader are:

• Attracts and Retains Talent—Kind leaders attract high-caliber candidates to join the company, leading to higher retention potential.
• Builds Trust and Respect—Leaders demonstrating genuine care and compassion foster a sense of commitment, loyalty, and respect among team members, leading to greater trust
• Encourages Open Communication—An environment of kindness opens the door to honest and open communication, where members of the organization are more likely to share concerns, feedback, and ideas.
• Enhances Collaboration—Synergy emerges when leaders encourage belonging, harmony, and inclusion, resulting in higher levels of performance and innovation.
• Improves Morale and Productivity—A culture of kindness contributes to a positive and supportive work environment.
• Inspires Others—When leaders exhibit kindness, a ripple effect occurs, and others become more compassionate and kinder.
• Reduces Burnout and Stress—A supportive and understanding environment increases psychological safety in employees.
• Strengthens Relationships—When treated with kindness, interactions between internal and external stakeholders become more authentic and trusting.

Kindness is essential in organizational thriving, resulting from positive and supportive leadership.

Cultivating Leadership Kindness

If we find the outcomes of leadership kindness favorable, we must understand how to cultivate more substantial levels of the characteristic. Several ways of personal development and intentional practice include:

• Act with Integrity—Create an environment that considers the well-being of others through ethical, fair, and just actions.
• Cultivate a Positive Mindset—Seeing the beneficial contributions of our colleagues increases the potential for kinder interactions.
• Develop Empathy—Put ourselves in others' shoes to see the issue from their perspective and consider their challenges, motivations, and stresses.
• Engage in Kind Acts—Begin with small gestures that allow you to show gratitude and recognition for acts of kindness seen in others.
• Lead By Example—Research on mirror neurons has found that seeing it in others leads to imitation-learning and stimulates others to practice a similar behavior.
• Learn Emotional Intelligence—Understand our current self-awareness and self-regulation and then build on it to become stronger.
• Practice Active Listening—Exhibit a sense of genuine interest and value in the perspective of the person speaking to you, giving them your full attention and avoiding interruptions.
• Practice Self-Care—Practicing kindness to others without prioritizing our mental and physical health is complex.
• Read, Learn, and Join a Community—Gaining a deeper understanding of kindness and practicing it in a safe environment will strengthen our ability to be kind in the workplace.
• Seek Feedback—Create an environment where people are genuinely open to gaining insight from others about ways to practice more extraordinary kindness.

Individuals who cultivate and practice leadership kindness will develop a more positive and productive workplace.

Key Takeaway

Sir Richard Branson answered, “People often underestimate the simple power of kindness” when asked for the biggest factor of great leadership. Kindness is essential in organizational thriving, resulting from positive and supportive leadership. Individuals who cultivate and practice leadership kindness will develop a more positive and productive workplace.

First Step

Leaders wanting to gauge their level of kindness can use the Live Kinder equation to measure their current state. The Kindness Score can be calculated using the equation:

Number of authentic acts of kindness/Number of unkind acts + Number of artificial kind acts

If the score is less than 1, there is a higher level of unkind than kind acts. A score of 1 is a balance of kind and unkind acts. The greater the number, the more significant the level of kindness you are performing.

My Gratitude

This week, I am grateful for the example set by Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand. She exhibited empathy in crisis during the Christchurch Mosque shooting and communicated using a nonconfrontational style that was relatable and warm while showing care and transparency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her leadership style embraced inclusion by addressing inequality and support for marginalized communities. Ultimately, she was kind to herself and her constituents by stepping down when she felt her tank was getting empty, understanding that she no longer had what it took to do the job at her level of expectation.

Invite Others

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Additional Information

To learn more about our work or read more blog posts, visit emmanuelstratgicsustainability.com.

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