Kindness And Leadership

I have been asked to speak about kindness at a leadership conference in Michigan in January and as such leadership has been very much on my mind. So I want to share this fantastic article in the Harvard Business Review with you: How and Why to Be a Leader (Not a Wannabe).

Umair Haque, the author believes that we are experiencing a historic failure of leadership and I would say that I agree with him.

“We’re surrounded by people who are expert at winning — elections, deals, titles, bonuses, bailouts, profit.”

“But you know and I know: mere winners are not true leaders — not just because gaming broken systems is nothing but an empty charade of living; but because life is not a game. It isn’t about what you have, and how much — but what you do, and why — if you’re to live a life that matters.

I believe that the role of a leader is to facilitate cooperation so the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts. And, as I have often said in my posts, I believe that kindness is the glue that holds people together and makes cooperation possible. After all nobody wants to work with someone they don’t like.

“Leaders — true leaders, those worthy of the word — lead us to truth, worth, nobility, wonder, imagination, joy, heartbreak, challenge, rebellion, meaning. Through love, they lead us to lives that matter. Wannabes impoverish us. Leaders enrich us.”

So if you are in a position of leadership, please read Umair’s article, and be an inspiration to others. We need you.

Photo by backpackphotography