For far too long, being nice has been mistaken for being
weak. In reality, niceness is an necessary quality of leadership for the world
we’re living in. It has become so rare that when someone does a kind act or
goes out of their way to be nice to someone, it goes viral on social media.
Being nice doesn’t mean you can’t make hard decisions or stand up to difficult
people, it just means you are respectful, kind, and show empathy to
your employees.
When kindness isn’t modeled in the workplace, we find
ourselves in an environment that is, unhealthy and at worst, toxic. Today people
are clamoring for a more human style of leadership. In an age of
automation and AI, leaders hard skills are easily being replicated by smart
technology. What will make the difference in effective leadership is soft
skills.
Here are 7 ways I’ve found being nice can bring you more
success as a leader at work. You can start to encourage a culture of being nice
to others by carrying out random acts of kindness during your day.
1. Be considerate: Hold the door open
for the person behind you. If you are going to the water cooler, ask someone
close to you if they would like you to fetch water for them also.
2. Smile at a colleague. When you make
eye contact and smile at someone you are showing that they matter which gives
them a boost of happiness.
3. Mind your manners. Say “Good morning”
or “Hello” to colleagues more often.
4. Show appreciation: Be more vocal in your
praise. Acknowledge the contribution and efforts of others.
5. Listen more. Learn
to listen with the intent to understand. Don’t just dismiss or ridicule others’
viewpoints. Listening shows that you care.
6. Offer support and
help to team members who are struggling.
7. Treat everyone with
the same level of respect, whether it be the janitor or the CEO.
Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you
know nothing about. Be kind always.
The way you treat others shows your values and true
character. You can’t influence others if you aren’t authentic. Employees
are looking at you as a leader to determine if they can trust you.
In my experience, tough and nice doesn’t have to be
incompatible. Managers, please use the human-to-human approach when dealing
with employees. It’s people you are dealing with, not just a statistic on a
graph. Get to know your people, meet them where they are, and be
flexible. Employees want to be treated as human beings.
In the end, people make companies successful. Any
strategy or business plan relies on motivated and engaged people to make it
happen! It’s just like a relationship. For a relationship to last, there must
be mutual respect, love, trust, understanding and appreciation. Without these,
the foundation is shaky.
This is why the most successful companies focus on people
and relationships, and make sure both are not just managed but lead and cared
for.
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