Taking a systems approach to leading with kindness. An outstanding new paper - Dec 2024. Kindness means helping others do better. If, as leaders, we want to create a satisfying & meaningful career experience for colleagues which promotes optimal well-being & healthspan, we should focus on four domains for leading with kindness: 1) Agency - people having a sense of control/autonomy in their work lives 2) Collective effervescence - energy & harmony in groups of people with shared purpose 3) Camaraderie - social connectedness 4) Positivity - optimism & caring The paper sets out ten evidence-based systems for applying these principles. Each system can be viewed as an act of kindness: drive.google.com/file/d/15qA… By @espritdeswensen. Thank you Steve for giving me this link so the article wasn't behind a paywall.

New! An excellent "special report" from Sloan Management Review @mitsmr on innovating with day-to day work & workflows to improve productivity, engagement & retention. It covers 3 topics: 1) The SMART work design model to make work more fulfilling & reduce burnout (Stimulating work; Mastery; Autonomy; Relational work; Tolerable demands) 2) How to improve well-being and performance at work by better scheduling 3) Improving the flow of work by taking a holistic view of work systems and reducing bottlenecks. You have to sign up by email to get the free report: sloanreview.mit.edu/offers-f…

I had a conversation today about the difference between "kindness" & "niceness" in leadership so I decided to post about it. The article & graphic explain why, as leaders, we should choose kindness over niceness. Kindness is about caring enough to push people toward greatness, even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s a harder path but better in the long run: learningandleadershipconsult…. By @emb928 Graphic: @thejustinmecham via @dangrimes1980