Kindness can be an overlooked attribute in leadership. Not to be confused with niceness – which is more about telling people what they want to hear – kindness is when a leader is comfortable and confident to tell people what they need to hear, in a supportive and safe environment and with an attitude of togetherness.

The matter of kindful leadership is the focus of my next book and it’s a subject which is striking chords with HR directors and other C Suite leaders. Kindness is not a new concept – either in business or at home – but the idea of kindfulness (a sort of cross between kindness and mindfulness) is one which has the potential to turbocharge a business’ performance.

It’s a marked step away from the power suits and iron fist that so many leadership books of old sought to promote, but the idea of being kind to your team in order that they can flourish is nothing revelatory.

Many truly inspirational leaders have kindness by the bucketload. From Sir John Timpson to BBC Two’s Dragon Nick Jenkins – founder of Moonpig.com – there are plenty of examples of leaders taking a modern approach to business and reaping the rewards.

How does kindful leadership help a business grow?
What I’ve observed time and time again is the pattern of growth that follows a kinder approach. When organisations place emphasis on kindness, they reap the rewards in more ways than one. For HR teams, taking a kinder approach to people management invariably leads to greater empathy and a growing bond of trust between employer and employee. The employee sees that their employer genuinely cares for who they are as a person – not merely how they perform as a cog in a wheel.

In fact, when employees feel that they are merely a cog and aren’t valued as individuals, we see resentment, working to rule, lack of effort and increased staff turnover.

Conversely, when kindness is introduced and people are recognised for the complex beings that they are, we find trust by the bucketload and a level of reciprocal respect that helps all levels perform at their best. This ultimately creates a culture of psychological safety – where the employee feels able to take risks, make suggestions and challenge the status quo, safe in the knowledge that they can try new things and push the boundaries. And, as we all know, this is where the magic often happens – when boundaries are pushed and employees are empowered to work in a way that they feel is best. Profits and productivity will generally increase, while attrition and staff turnover go down.

Why is kindfulness so important now?
The business world has evolved almost beyond recognition over the last few decades. You don’t need me to spell out the many ways that work has changed. Starting with the advent of the internet and moving to easy, accessible, affordable global travel, the stage was set for change. Then the rise in technology – and the pandemic, which forced a rapid and widespread adoption of remote connection technologies – helped to close the gap. These tools have made the world a smaller place, but also a more open place.

Authenticity is key for success is a modern environment. Younger employees place high importance on values and will actively seek out workplaces that reflect the environment they desire. Millennials and Gen X are keen to carve out a better world, and they include a better working pattern and work-life balance within that. They value authentic connection, meaningful conversation and practising business with intent. It’s not all about the money for the next generation of employee – they also want to have a good working experience, believe they are doing good in the world, and know that their work efforts are making an impact. Diversity is important and so, too, is diversity of thought which is fostered by taking an active approach to seeking alternative voices.

Anything less than total authenticity and a clear commitment to people is at risk of being called out publicly. The advent of platforms like Glassdoor – along with social media channels (and Twitter in particular) – mean that now everyone has a voice. Employers will need to consider how best to engage with their people to the benefit of everyone – that’s if they haven’t already!

Getting board buy-in
For some organisations, this style of leadership represents a shift in the status quo. It’s not uncommon for HR teams promoting this approach to experience push-back from others in the C Suite.

The important thing to communicate above all else is that this is not fluff!

Taking a kinder approach has been repeatedly proven to work. In fact, in my own business one of the core values is that ‘trust and kindness are our rocket fuel’.

The fact is that success does not require a ruthless leadership approach. Ask your Board which businesses and leaders they admire. Often, it’s those who have built a great business alongside a positive reputation – think more like Sir John Timpson, and less like Donald Trump!

By aligning success to values, it becomes easier to be a kindful leader. Most company values are broadly similar, though of course the wording and specifics will vary. Ultimately, however, most companies aim to do good and to be good. Embodying values all the way throughout the foundations of a business is a good place to start a kindful approach. And, as mentioned above, an inauthentic business in today’s world will not last long before it is called out.

Looking to the future and keeping your eyes on the prize
It’s common to dismiss a fundamental change or evolution of leadership skills as too time consuming, too expensive, too disruptive, or even too disingenuous.

My pushback to all of that is – think about how time consuming, expensive and disruptive it is to replace exiting team members. Because that’s the risk you are running in not valuing your team properly and showing them at every level that you care.

Trust does not come for free. It’s earned, and it takes time and an emotional investment to build it. It’s hard won and easily lost, so building trust is a constant and time-consuming task. The rewards, however, will far outstrip the effort. A relationship between employer and employee which is built on trust will support creativity, productivity, employee retention, personal development and more – ultimately supporting profitability and helping to secure the future of the company for everyone who works there. We give so much of our lives to work – don’t we all deserve to be treated with kindness while we’re there?