Kindness

My colleague gave me a fantastic book–“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy, and among the many things that struck me was this dialogue between the boy and the mole:

The mole- “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“Kind,” said the boy.

The boy hit the nail on the head. We choose different professions and become successful as per our benchmark, but how many of us want to be “kind” consciously? In today’s world, kindness is the most underrated quality in the corporate world. For years and even now, it is seen as an antonym of being decisive, results-oriented, and determined. It has been said that kind people cannot make tough decisions. Kindness is seen as a trait in doctors, nurses, social workers, and such professions but not the hard-hitting world of corporates. The reality cannot be further from it. It is required everywhere and on every walk of life.

In organizations, one can be successful and results-oriented and can take tough decisions or being assertive while being kind. Kindness helps to get the results better than the traditional “cut and dry” manner. It may help to sort issues in conflicting situations, which a tough stance cannot solve. It creates a conducive environment and helps to build trust. In my opinion, the most competent person who is not kind may have significantly fewer supporters than those who are skilled with a kind heart. And kindness can reflect in various ways- a simple inquiry about the person and the family, and empathetic view of the dilemma the other person is, talking about our vulnerabilities, taking few moments to say hello to the family members you see during the video call.

Dealing with different generations, I feel that this quality is universal. All ages love it, and now organizations are waking up to this reality and becoming more caring. It is about time that kindness is seen as an essential part of the organization’s DNA. Some of them have it for years, and those are the ones that employees value for a long time.

Another line which I loved in the book was:

“We often wait for kindness… but being kind to yourself can start now.” said the mole.

It is very relevant for the corporate dwellers, especially nowadays, when people can be very harsh on themselves, leading to misery to themselves and those around them.

That’s what I remind myself everyday-to be kind to others and myself.