I gravitate towards kind people

Because they are fierce

Working in the corporate world, there was always, without fail, one type of leader that consistently stood out to me. Regardless of gender, religion, personality-type, age or cultural background.

And this was the kind leader.

The leader who would speak kindly and with respect to any, and all employees.

Sometimes they were loud and buoyant. Other times they showed up as the quiet, commanding types.

But they were all kind.

The reason they stood out to me, is because they had this unique knack of being able to change the atmosphere of any room.

When they walked in, instantly people relaxed. People began to smile. Perk up. Almost all had already spoken with this leader before.

This leader was different from a showboater, who crafted a rockstar influencer-type of image. The one who wanted people cheering loudly at their annual meetings.

This was the leader who had this happen naturally. Without a marketing team holding up signs behind the crowd ahead of time.

This leader made people sit up and listen. Because they made it clear those people mattered to them.

The thing about real kindness, is it comes from a place of high self-esteem and self-worth. Authentically kind people are capable of being that way because they have experienced all kinds of life and career situations. And they came out of it with a sense of gratitude and empathy.

And power.

Fierce power.

The ability to forgive, and be kind – to me – is the most powerful type of leadership I’ve ever seen.

The kind that can be calm during a vocal disagreement and still show respect, but fierce resolve in their commitment to their view. The kind that can listen and hear the other person, take it in and decide pragmatically, if they need to reconsider their own decision.

Most of all though, kindness shows a level of self-respect that is extremely hard to ignore.

The opposite of this kind of leader is the kind employee who attacks others, lashes out at others, for their own insecurities and lack of self worth and self esteem.

They make others uncomfortable with their energy and their resentment, and the giant hole everyone can feel emanating from within them.

They may be important in corporations for many many reasons.

But they will never have the command of a room, the way a kind leader will.

And they will never have the fierceness and resolve, of a kind leader.