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Our returning guest, Vicki Sullivan, is back to talk about the parallels between personal kindness and the business case for kindness in this turbulent environment.
We’re just a few weeks into the New Year, and the world is filled with pressure and tension for a variety of reasons. As someone who cares about people, maybe you’re concerned about signs of burnout in your organization. Yet when you’re leading for business transformation and growth, you need to make tough decisions under tight deadlines. What can you do to move forward under these conditions? At the beginning of the year, we read a short essay by our friend and returning guest Vicki Sullivan, Principal of Sullivan and Associates, titled “Forget Resolutions: Try Acts of Kindness Instead.” While she was writing about individual acts of kindness, we believe there’s a business case for leading with even more kindness in a turbulent environment.
During our conversation, we debunk some of the most common myths around kindness. We also discuss how leading with kindness can reduce stress, strengthen relationships, and increase loyalty. Vickie brings this concept to life with the inspiring story of a CEO and C-suite team that led with kindness when her mother faced a health crisis. The ripple effects of their decision benefited the entire company. We also share Pam’s story about the CEO and C-suite team that led with kindness when they closed a facility as part of an M&A deal. The extremely positive outcomes surprised everyone. Finally, we share three immediately useful ideas for leading with even more kindness in the coming year—and beyond.
Vickie is an internationally recognized market strategist for thought leaders, professional speakers, and B2B professional service firms. She specializes in brand and message strategies in crowded markets and has helped thousands of companies outsmart their competition. She is a popular speaker throughout the U.S. and Canada. Her topics include why buyers buy in lucrative markets, and strategies to get and leverage those opportunities. Vickie’s articles appear in magazines such as Presentations and USA Today, as well as the Handbook of Business Strategy. She’s also been quoted in Fortune.com, The New York Times, and Investor’s Business Daily.
Kindness is the conduit for creating connections that can withstand what is happening out there right now. – Vickie Sullivan
This week on Growth Igniters® Radio:
- Vickie shares how personal acts of kindness can serve as what she calls “counter-programming” to tension and stress in the world
- We extend Vickie’s philosophy to the business case for kindness in the turbulent environment
- Debunking the common myth that leading with kindness equates to weakness
- Real-life stories that illustrate the profound impact of kind leadership on organizational culture and employee loyalty
- Three immediately useful ideas for leading with even more kindness in the year ahead – and beyond