Freddie Guilmard of leadership consultancy RTP explains his new year’s resolution: to encourage more employers to enhance their influence in a more benevolent manner.
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I AM not one for making New Year’s resolutions but if I had one wish for 2025, it would be for more leaders to understand the power of kindness in building long-term and trusted relationships.
I will be honest… for many years in my career working in sales, I was so focused and driven by the need for success and gratification a (childhood issue I have now addressed), I often forgot the impact I had on others.
It did not even enter my head because, as long as my family and friends loved me, the rest I could deal with.
It was not until I had reached the dizzy heights of a senior role, that one day my CEO asked if I had ever had executive coaching. I promptly responded with a slight huff: “Do I need executive coaching?”
“Hmm,” was all she said… The rest has led me to where I am today.
But what do I mean by kindness? Firstly, kindness is not necessarily about allowing someone to have more time in a business when they have been underperforming for months or showering people with compliments because we want to motivate them to do better.
It is not even buying great coffee when the business is under serious pressure (well, it might – but that could be seen as bribery).
Kindness must start directly with the leader or manager to understand how behaviour has a profound and lasting impact on those around us.
It starts with an understanding of our own emotions, what triggers these feelings and what we can do about this. We may even want to explore why we are feeling this way, by seeking feedback on how we come across to others and what other people say about us when we are not present.
That means that vulnerability plays an important part in our journey to become kinder and this is where many will struggle due to their fear of being seen as weak or soft.
Many leaders with whom I have worked over the years are generally kind. However, for many, there is an expectation that they need to reflect a certain persona to earn the right to be seen by others as an effective manager or leader. This will also be heavily influenced by the culture in which these leaders/managers are operating.
But let’s explore some of the behaviours associated with being kind:
- Patience and understanding.
- Empathy towards others.
- Being considerate of other’s feelings.
- Being generous with time, resources and attention.
- Use of positive language.
- Avoiding judgement and cynicism.
The added benefit of all the above is that kindness can make you happier, strengthen relationships, can be good for your health in reducing stress and it is definitely contagious.
So, if one of your wishes in 2025 is to be healthy, respected, successful and more fulfilled, try being kinder. This will help you to become a great role model at work and within your community. The world needs you now more than ever.
Freddie Guilmard is the chief executive and a high-performance coach at RTP, a boutique consultancy that supports leaders in addressing their big issues by building human organisations.
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