Heartitude Hero Series
Kindness and empathy – are those the things we expect of our leaders? Is Optimism what we teach our kids? How are we role modeling these values, especially at work?
The Right Honorable Dame Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand does just that. Her mission to lead with kindness and in a fully public way, set her apart and challenges our traditional view of leadership. I’m excited to share this Heartitude Hero with you!
A New Zealand politician and activist who was the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party from 2017 to 2023, Jacinda was the world’s youngest female head of government at 37 years old,. She has been interviewed recently for her new book, “A Different Kind of Power,” which champions her belief that the most successful leaders lead with empathy, compassion and kindness. Dare I say? With Heartitude. She talks honestly about self doubt – even feeling that it was a trait that would hold her back. AND yet, she still announced publicly at her inauguration that kindness would be her guiding principle as a leader. While her self-confidence may have been lacking, her courage certainly was not in short supply. In the face of so much in the world fostering just the opposite. Dame Jacinda makes a great case for head and heart being the path to greatness. Some people think kindness is soft, weak, but I’ve always believed that was wrong. Dame Arden agrees. “Kindness has a power and strength like nothing else on the planet. I’ve seen kindness give people hope, change minds and transform lives.” I highly recommend her book to anyone looking for inspiration, hope and even a few laughs. www.adifferentkindofpower.com.
What if empathy and kindness are not “soft” but instead are a leadership superpower?
PRACTICE (Tool #7 Mood Matters)
- Make it a habit to say good morning with a smile on your face.
- Take 5 minutes before you enter your workplace.
- Breathe deeply for 10 seconds. Do this 3 times to clear your mind.
- Ask yourself: “How do I want my employees to feel at the end of a day?” Name 3 positive emotions.
- Ask your employees: “How do you want your customer to feel at the end of your interaction?”
Observe how people respond. But be careful: You might just get better than you expect from your team.