Leaders frequently have to be the bad guy to make sure things run smoothly. However, kindness also has a place in the workplace. Being a kind leader will make your employees trust you more and be more willing to help out. Additionally, kindness will help your company be a more meaningful and pleasant place to work. Here are some ways for you to be a kind leader:
Respect Others’ Time
A great way to show you care about others is to respect their time. This means answering phone calls and emails in a timely fashion. Also, you should pay attention when others are speaking. This will show others that you respect their opinions as well as their time.
Listen to Feedback
While you can’t make every change that every employee wants, you can listen. Listening to feedback includes listening to employees’ thoughts on projects, company policies, business opportunities, and problems in your company. Some of the feedback will be unhelpful or impossible to implement, but simply listening to employees’ thoughts will show your kindness.
Be a Mentor
Being willing to take time out of your busy life to help someone else with their job is a great way to show kindness. Take time to mentor the employees in your company and encourage other company leaders to do the same.
Learn to Handle Mistakes
When a mistake is made people tend to be more angry than kind. However, approaching a mistake with calm kindness can help your employees learn more and make fewer mistakes in the future. When somebody makes a mistake, be sure to address the problem one-on-one with that employee. After that, make sure you give your other employees the information they need to avoid that mistake, without calling out the person that made the mistake. This will promote learning and kindness in your company.
Modeling kind behavior opens the door for more kindness from your supervisors and other employees. Look for opportunities to make these small changes that can make a big difference in your organization.