Kindness in Leadership

235 Pages·2018·3.021 MB·English

by  Gay Haskins, Mike Thomas, Lalit Johri

There is too little attention given to the importance of kindness in leader-
ship. Maybe this book can help to shift the paradigm of leadership so that
kindness takes a bigger place in the list of characteristics sought in selecting
and promoting leaders in all kinds of organisations in society.
Professor Ariane Berthoin Antal, research director,
WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Germany
Having heard from several of my superiors in my career about ‘being too
soft and compassionate’ as an improvement area, I was delighted to read
about the virtues of ‘kindness in leadership.’ This book by some eminent
thought leaders, reassured me that kindness in leaders is their strength and it
has a direct bearing on the success of any pursuit.
Deepak Chopra, Group CEO, Anand Group, India
What a beautiful, thought provoking exploration of this poorly explored
yet absolutely critical dimension of leadership. It will show you the power
of kindness and how it can transform your leadership.
Professor Jay A. Conger, Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership Studies,
Claremont McKenna College, USA
In today’s complex, rapidly changing high tech. world, kindness in leader-
ship is more important than ever. The collective wisdom of the authors, all
experts in the field of leadership and business, brings together important
insights and practices. A kinder world is a more productive world where
individuals and corporations can thrive.
Katherine Corich, Founder and Chair, Sysdoc Group, New Zealand
This book makes a compelling case for kindness and fairness contributing to
business success. Kindness certainly contributes to business success, but it is
not an easy option and needs wholehearted involvement from the top.
John Elliott MBE DL, Executive Chairman, Ebac Ltd, UK
Kindness is at the very heart of our philosophy but it demands that every-
one lives and breathes it every day. The human, financial and societal out-
comes are tangible and will endure through future generations.
Richard Everard OBE DL, Chairman, Everards Brewery Ltd, UK
It might not be high on the corporate agenda – but this terrific book shows
the central role that kindness can play in making our corporations and
society a better place.
Professor Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice,
London Business School, UK
This could be the book which changes global perception and appreciation
of kindness in leadership, bringing it to the fore in the considered devel-
opment of our organisations and societies. The authors’ panoramic
exploration of the many manifestations and impacts of kindness highlights
the immense value of this inexhaustible, infinitely sharable, inner resource.
The book is a true gift to the literature on Leadership and a convincing
exposition of how we would all benefit from making kindness more visible
in the world.
Professor Suzi Jarvis, Founding Director, UCD Innovation Academy,
University College Dublin, Ireland
Kindness is not an optional. In a world that is getting more complex and
digital every day, kindness is an indispensable component of successful
leadership.
Nadin Meloth, International Co-President, European Women’s Management
Development International Network (EWMD) and Business Coach
Hard, compelling justification for kind leadership. A powerful addition to
our understanding of why organisational cultures based on trust and
engagement deliver superior results.
Major General David Mulhall, DSC, AM, CSC, Commander Joint Logistics,
Australian Defence Force, Department of Defence, Australia
Real insights into win-win global leadership and collaboration, Kindness in
Leadership is a nice reminder to all of us, in whatever role we play in
society, that kindness can make a remarkable impact on everything we do.
Indeed, a common virtue and practice that transcends through cultures of
developed and emerging markets.
Beng Neoh, Managing Director, North Asia, AMP Capital, China
Kindness in Leadership provides the ‘ying’ to governance frameworks’ ‘yang’
that so often is discussed in isolation resulting in a bureaucratic tick-box
exercise. The contributors provide a fresh, and at times revelatory, new
approach to leadership and influencing culture in professional and high
performance environments; exploring good old-fashioned courtesy, respect
and fairness. The perfect antidote to compliance that could prove an
essential accompaniment to the revised Corporate Governance Code.
Annamarie Phelps CBE, Vice Chair, British Olympic Association, UK
This thought-provoking and ambitious book makes a strong case for inte-
grating kindness into the complicated role of leadership, a topic that is not
discussed enough. Fairness and kindness have contributed significantly to
my law firm's financial success, stability, and remarkable retention of top
professionals and staff employees.
Arthur J. Shartsis J.D., Founding Partner, Shartsis Friese LLP,
San Francisco, USA
Everyone agrees that kindness is an important virtue; yet conceptually,
especially in leadership work, it can be elusive. Kindness in Leadership
elucidates the various facets of kindness as an important set of values in our
leadership practices in a clear, insightful and practical manner. Values-based
leadership is needed now more than ever before in this current climate of
rapid and disruptive changes. This book gives us the stimulus to think much
harder about it and hopefully practise it conscientiously.
Wong Siew Hoong, Director-General of Education,
Ministry of Education, Singapore
ThebookrightfullyandconvincinglyarguesthatkindnessshouldbetheDNAofa
successful organization for it enhances purpose and values of its people. I am
inspired to further ingrain it in my organization which places compassion at its
core.
Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub, CEO and Cardiac Surgeon, National Heart Institute,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
This is a book that is most needed in this time of divisiveness in politics,
international relations and society at large. I found a number of useful sug-
gestions for conversations and individual contemplation. Kindness is
contagious … pass it on!
Sven Atterhed, Co-Founder, The ForeSight Group, Sweden
KINDNESS IN LEADERSHIP
In a global climate of increasing complexity and uncertainty, there have been calls
for a more responsible form of leadership in business and society. The relationship
betweenkindnessandleadership isthereforeatopicoffundamentalimportancefor
our well-being as individuals, for the success of our organisations, and for the
future of our global society.
Kindness in Leadership is one of the first books to explore both the concept and
practice of kindness in leadership and consider them in different societal and orga-
nisational settings within a global context. Its uniqueness lies in combining an
innovative mix of personal views from leaders with explorations of organisational
philosophies and practices. It opens with a definition of kindness and its contours
and underpinnings. It then explores the importance of kindness within different
organisations, parts of the world, economic strata, age groups and genders, drawing
on research on organisational compassion and neuroscience. In order to support
learning, each chapter is supported by a series of questions for consideration and
discussion.
This will be a stimulating and thought-provoking read for a wide audience of
practicing managers and leaders in organisations of all shapes and sizes, for aca-
demics involved in educating for leadership, and for students aspiring to develop
their own kind and compassionate leadership style.
GayHaskinsisanAssociateFellowoftheSaïdBusinessSchool,UniversityofOxford.
Mike Thomas is Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Organisational Leadership and
Mental Health, University of Central Lancashire.
LalitJohriisaSeniorFellowinInternationalBusinessoftheSaïdBusinessSchool,
University of Oxford.
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KINDNESS IN
LEADERSHIP
Edited by Gay Haskins, Mike Thomas and
Lalit Johri
Firstpublished2018
byRoutledge
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©2018selectionandeditorialmatter,GayHaskins,MikeThomasandLalit
Johri;individualchapters,thecontributors
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authorsoftheeditorialmaterial,andoftheauthorsfortheirindividualchapters,
hasbeenassertedinaccordancewithsections77and78oftheCopyright,
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ISBN:978-1-138-20733-2(hbk)
ISBN:978-1-138-20734-9(pbk)
ISBN:978-1-315-46253-0(ebk)
TypesetinBembo
byTaylor&FrancisBooks
To the many leaders who consciously carry out kind
actions within their organisations and all the kind men and
women who shared an interest in the topic of this book
and whose thoughts, insights and experiences have
inspired its content.
All royalities received by the authors of this book will be
donated to charities.