You can’t read the label from inside the jar!

I read an article last week from the CEO of Allbright, Viv Paxinos.

Allbright is the world's largest collective of women in business.

She spoke about the importance of leading with compassion, kindness and love.

I believe love can be a superpower in the workplace.

Viv quoted a piece of research for the Harvard Business School that said 71% of businesses believe that emotional intelligence is the number 1 skill that's sought after in employees.

That research came from 2019.

And it's currently 2024.

Leading with love and kindness isn't a weakness, it's a strength.

Leading from a place of fairness, openness and transparency, isn't the same as being a pushover.

It's about your genuine care and intention as a leader, which extends to being fair, inclusive and clear, even when those messages may be difficult.

Leading from a place of values and authenticity. 

Crafting your communication as brilliantly as you craft your sales plan.

Consider your impact on others as greatly as you consider impact on your bottom line.

There’s a general assumption that more love led ways of leading are always feminine traits.

And that sometimes makes them not quite as good. 

That’s not true and I’m not sure it's about gender either. 

I think often it's about communication.

And by communication, I really mean listening.

To the heartbeat of your business, your people and your customers.

To seek to understand. WIthout judgment or assumption. 

To be curious, ask questions and seek new insights.

To listen more than you speak.

There’s always gold in that dialogue.

To allow your people to be unleashed from the jar that the pace of business often puts us all in.

With the lid firmly shut incase of cross-contamination or escapees.

We can’t see the label when we’re on the inside of that jar. Locked in our little jar bubble.

You can’t see the  label that says “open here to unleash the magic within”.

I invite you this week to find some time for some small acts of kindness in your world of work.

Kindness  is often allowing time and space for others to be heard.

And there will be magic in what you hear, if you are willing to listen.