Apart from being a personal virtue, research shows that kindness can offer competitive advantages for your career. Here are four reasons – beyond just being a good person – to increase your kindness.
Effective leaders are likeable
Kindness is an important leadership trait. A growing body of research proves that empathy in leaders is a pivotal effectiveness tool in today’s global market. When leaders can put themselves in their employees’ shoes, the result is often improved workplace morale, team performance and productivity. Be kind and likable to be a leader.
Kindness is linked to creativity
Creativity is a competitive edge for employees, and it doesn’t happen by accident. Multiple studies show that respectfully engaging with other organisational members can augment creativity for individuals and teams. Being kind to your colleagues – or what researchers call ‘respectful engagement’ – is related to creative behaviour at both the individual and team levels. Creativity, in turn, is a crucial soft skill that will help keep you relevant as the world of work changes.
Your reputation is your CV
Kindness isn’t just a one-time act. Over time, how you treat others builds a reputation. A way to develop a bad reputation at work is to take credit for another person’s work and being difficult to work with. Giving credit where it is due, recognising others and being kind will become an extension of your CV.
Kindness makes everyone happier
When people are kind, both the giver and receiver are benefitting. Performing acts of kindness creates a ‘cycle of goodness’. Happy leaders equals happy employees, as they’ll be more willing to go the extra mile in their jobs and gain a sense of satisfaction.
Kindness is its own reward – but it also can provide more. Be kind, and you might also be hired and promoted.
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