This blog is part of a series by ACEVO head of member support Tom Andrews. It’s a series about words. Not any old words, but words that exemplify human strengths. What are the characteristics that serve us as leaders and as people?
Kindness – bah humbug! Wishy-washy, touchy-feely nonsense. What role does kindness have in the modern workplace and for modern leaders?
I’d argue that kindness – although you might not call it that – is fundamental to a positive workplace, ethical leadership, and a more equitable society. And rather than something lightweight or a sign of weakness, kindness is a sign of strength and resolution.
The word ‘kindness’ is derived from the old English noun ‘cynd’, which signified ‘nature’, ‘lineage’, and ‘kin’. This hints at kindness not only as an individual trait but as part of a wider web going back in time and across geography. This kinship is about a sense of common humanity and connection.
I see kindness as encapsulating two different aspects: altruism and prosocial behaviour. Altruism is about our motivation to help others; prosocial behaviour is about action that helps others. So, motivation + action = kindness.
As well as the individual aspect, when kindness is seen at an institutional level, it can pose challenging questions about our attitudes and behaviours. What does a kind charity, a kind hospital, a kind community, or a kind government look like? How does it behave? This involves not just nice words but actions.
Kindness though is not a universal panacea; it needs to be aligned and tempered with fairness and equity. Sometimes kindness is not appropriate. The idea though that kindness is weak is disingenuous. Kindness is often not easy. The courage to continue to see ‘the other’, to stand by your values, to really listen, and to step in and step up, can be isolating and it can be exhausting.
During my work supporting members, I see so many examples of kindness, often in the face of unkindness. The challenge, when listening to them, is not to forget that this work needs energy and resource and that taking care of yourself is kind too.
Additional reading: Arts and Kindness, a pioneering paper by charity People United, on the science behind kindness and the role of arts and creativity.
