Leadership - A discussion of traits, characteristics, and current news of leaders.

As a leader you are constantly thinking about how to bring unity of vision and purpose to your team.  While there are several strategies and exercises to promote unity, think about this quote from the German philosopher Goethe,

"Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together"
- Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe

Is it possible that promoting kindness among your team could create dividends and strengthen your team? I suggest to you that it is possible and important.  Since we spend a significant portion of our lives at work, it is important to occasionally re-examine how we treat each other and how that may affect our unity and team work. In the May 1, 1989 issue of Inc. Magazine, Jan Carlzon, chief executive officer of Scandinavian Airlines System Group said, during a very trying time of substantial losses for the company, that "...there are two great motivators in life. One is fear. The other is love. You can manage an organization by fear, but if you do, you will ensure that people don't perform up to their real capabilities."

Use Random Acts of Kindness Week as an easy excuse to test this theory and see how it affects the morale, productivity and unity of your organization (including your family). To help you get started, I have re-published a list from www.actsof kindness.org.  Print it and post where your employees can see it.  Perhaps send an email to your team about Random Acts of Kindness Week and encourage kindness. Let me know of any success stories.

“Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” Scott Adams author of Dilbert

Acts of kindness for co-workers

• Invite someone new to lunch.
• Welcome and get to know new hires.
• When a coworker needs to talk, meet him or her at lunch and listen with compassion.
• Tell your boss why you appreciate him or her.
• Walk a coworker to the car or bus at nighttime for safety.
• Leave a treat on the desk of a coworker with whom you normally don’t get along.
• Write, draw, make, or buy something encouraging for a colleague who is experiencing difficulties.
• Offer to baby-sit a coworker’s children for an evening.
• Remember others’ birthdays and important events.
• Take a photo of your colleagues at work and give it to them so their families can see them on the job.
• Help an overworked colleague with some tasks.
• Place a flower on the desk of each of your coworkers.
• Do some yard work for a coworker who is ill or recovering from surgery.
• Refrain from negative talk; concentrate on the positive.
• Surprise a coworker with a soft drink, coffee, or bottled water.
• Offer to help out with the not-so-pleasant tasks at work.
• Show your appreciation to coworkers through words and notes.
• Give a compliment.
• Write a letter commending an employee who helped you, and address it to his or her boss.
• Share positive news and quotes with others.
• Teach one of your skills to another coworker, and learn a skill from him or her as well.