The Power of Kindness

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the power of kindness Kind leaders shaping the future

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THE POWER OF KINDNESS

@kindnessrules #leadwithkindness kindness.womenofthefuture.co.uk

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THE POWER OF KINDNESS Last year, we launched the inaugural Kindness & Leadership 50 Leading Lights campaign, celebrating 50 phenomenal, kind leaders working in the UK today. Our goal was to radically challenge the leadership conversation, which has traditionally overlooked the power of kindness in leadership and the immense impact that it has in all areas of business. We wanted to recast perceptions of ‘strong’ leadership – to present kindness as a strength, as a quality and a currency that empowers change.

It has only been a year since we placed the spotlight on our 50 Leading Lights, but we’ve witnessed a significant shift in the leadership landscape. Against a background of uncertainty and rapid change (political, environmental, technological), we’ve seen kindness move to centre stage, with more leaders, schools and industries acknowledging its clout. As so superbly illustrated in this booklet, put together by Saïd Business School and Hall & Partners, kindness has the ability to build trust, confidence and loyalty – it’s the leadership style that will achieve change in a fragile world.

And so, it’s tremendously exciting to see our 50 Leading Lights campaign grow and to announce our 2019 Kindness List, in association with Unilever. This year, we will also launch the campaign in Southeast Asia, together with sponsor, Asia Square.

I urge you to get involved. Connect with us at the Women of the Future Programme, and let’s work together to determine the style of leadership that succeeds.

PINKY LILANI CBE DL Founder and Chairman Women of the Future Programme

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

Having spoken to hundreds of leaders around the world, we firmly believe in the power of kindness in leadership.

We’ve found that kind leaders put their people at the centre of their organisations. They recognise that people are key to organisational performance and impact. Through their kind behaviours and actions, they create trust, stimulate collaboration, encourage inclusivity and inspire commitment.

Collaboration, rather than division and isolation, is much needed in our organisations and in our society. Sadly, however, our world seems increasingly characterised by competing interests and growing intolerance and impatience. We need to press the ‘rethink’ key and encourage kindness in every aspect of our lives on planet earth.

Focusing on the importance of kindness in leadership is neither a fad, nor a shallow pitch made by a motivational speaker. Everyone can aspire to kindness: individually, our own actions add to the whole, and as a result, kindness becomes more powerful and yields a greater impact. It gives life a richer meaning and has been shown to make us happier in the process.

We join in congratulating the leaders across the UK who have been nominated for their kindness. Their kindness makes a difference to their organisations. Their kindness helps to build a better country and a better world.

LALIT JOHRI

G AY H A S K I N S

Senior Fellow in International Business

Associate Fellow

Saïd Business School

Saïd Business School

University of Oxford

University of Oxford

Along with Professor Mike Thomas (50 Leading Lights list 2018), Lalit and Gay are editors of Kindness in Leadership (Routledge).

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Kindness at work is hard. It is not because we don’t want to be kind to each other. We do. It is just that the world moves so fast that it is often a struggle to keep up with the things that are in front of us. One more email or urgent meeting, gets in the way.

Yet small, everyday kindnesses create real joy, for both the receiver and the giver. And the effort required is often disproportionate to the impact. There is a real return on the investment.

Beyond the human joy that kindness creates (which, of course, should be enough of a reason to be kind), there is also a business reason for why it makes sense. Kindness makes people happy, and happy people work harder, which in turn helps businesses do well.

Kindness is not a soft thing to talk about; it actually leads to hard results. Kindness generates better profits. David Maister, a business author and former professor at Harvard, calls this ‘the service profit chain’: happy people, happy clients, happy profits.

For me, this is not the main reason for being kind, because I believe true kindness should be done for the joy it brings, in quiet, unassuming ways... Ways that touch hearts and inspire. It does, however, provide a reason for the argument that kindness is vitally important, when confronting any hard-nosed business naysayers.

I encourage everyone to try and find some way to increase the number of kind acts they do every day. They do not have to be large or extravagant; simply find small ways to be kind consciously every day. Kindness can be simply noticing someone, a kind gesture, or words of thanks and appreciation. It will ensure your life is full of joy.

It will help you build a community of kindness around you and, when we do this, we have the power to change the world.

I hope you enjoy the stories in this book and that they inspire and help you on your journey to greater kindness.

VA N E L L A J A C K S O N Global CEO Hall & Partners

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

M E T H O D O L O G Y : A C O L L A B O R AT I V E A P P R O A C H

INSIGHTS FROM KIND LEADERS How fortunate we were to be given the opportunity to interview ten of the leaders named as 50 Leading Lights of Kindness and Leadership in 2018. Gender balanced and drawn from financial services, utilities, high technology, logistics, publishing and professional and public services, the group share a strong belief in the value of kindness in organisations. Their responses to our questions about kind behaviours and actions and their impact on organisational culture and performance were remarkably consistent, as you will see throughout this booklet.

Women of the Future has also included quotes from several of the 50 Leading Lights 2018 to bring additional support to our interview findings.

L A L I T J O H R I A N D G AY H A S K I N S SaĂŻd Business School, University of Oxford

A N E M P LOY E E P E R S P E CT I V E The Hall & Partners team is excited and honoured to have the opportunity to once again partner up with the Women of the Future Programme. Working with the SaĂŻd Business School, we have taken the insights from their work and combined them with our own research, pulling together an insightful and thought-provoking booklet. It asks: What makes a leader kind? What does kindness in leadership look like in the workplace?

To help us answer these questions, we conducted an online survey of 1,000 nationally representative people in the UK who are currently employed by an organisation. Those who took part in the survey work across a whole range of industries and come from all parts of the UK. This gave us a comprehensive view of how kindness is perceived and experienced in the working world.

Thank you for reading this booklet. We hope you enjoy it and that it inspires you to be kind. However small, it will have a big impact.

VA N E L L A J A C K S O N A N D T H E H A L L & PA RT N E R S K I N D N E S S T E A M

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kindness has a positive impact on organisational culture and performance There was overwhelming

The business case for being

agreement among our

kind is robust and strong. There

interviewees that kind

is a win-win outcome.”

behaviours and actions have a positive impact on the

When people work in a kind

culture and performance of

environment, they are more

organisations. Kindness builds

inclined to be kind to customers.

trust, collaboration, productivity

As one leader said, “We go

and loyalty.

the extra mile to look after our people, and they go the

“When people feel valued and

extra mile in looking after our

respected, they perform better.

customers.”

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

The very best performance comes from a person who feels you’ve got their back.

Making sure people feel looked after at work allows them to focus their energy on being their best selves and doing the best job they can. When that happens on a big scale, the positive ripples are endless, company culture is strengthened, the work gets better and is delivered faster, and the bottom line starts to grow.

J O A N N A M C G R AT H Founder The Creative School

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The employees we surveyed saw kindness as highly motivational. However, they also felt that our organisations face a big challenge if we are to make the UK work environment a kinder place.

only 1/3 strongly agree that their direct boss is kind

Hall & Partners 2019 Employee Research

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

and only ¼ strongly agree that the leader of their organisation is kind

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kind leadership results in better quality of work and higher employee motivation

Hall & Partners 2019 Employee Research

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

I I N T E N D T O S TAY I N M Y O R G A N I S AT I O N F O R AT L E A S T A N OT H E R 1 2 M O N T H S 70%

32%

MY TEAM PRODUCES O U T S TA N D I N G Q U A L I T Y 62%

WORK

EMPLOYEES RATE LEADERS AS KIND EMPLOYEES RATE LEADERS AS UNKIND

28%

I ’ M H I G H LY M OT I VAT E D IN MY ROLE 54%

17%

M Y C O M PA N Y I S D O I N G W E L L F I N A N C I A L LY 52%

28%

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10 ways to be kind

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

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L I S T E N T O OT H E R S A N D VA L U E T H E I R V I E W S

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C O M M U N I C AT E W I T H A P E R S O N A L T O U C H

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C E L E B R AT E A N D R E C O G N I S E

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BE HONEST

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A C C O M M O D AT E P E R S O N A L I S S U E S

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T R E AT OT H E R S W I T H R E S P E C T

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C H A M P I O N A N D E N C O U R A G E OT H E R S

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BE INCLUSIVE

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BE HUMANE

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M A K E K I N D N E S S YO U R P H I LO S O P HY

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employees felt that kind leaders are...

Hall & Partners 2019 Employee Research

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

79%

79%

59%

58%

34%

34%

RESPECTFUL FAIR

CONSISTENT EMPATHETIC

AUTHENTIC MINDFUL

28%

GENEROUS

26%

COURAGEOUS

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1 L I S T E N T O OT H E R S A N D VA L U E T H E I R VIEWS Of all the kind behaviours discussed in our interviews, listening was among the most frequently mentioned. “Our most basic need is to be heard,” said one leader. “Listening attentively is a big part of being a good leader in any business.”

Listening leads to better understanding of the personal concerns of employees. One leader observed that “we have to be aware of people who are not like us and look into their needs.” And as another put it, “It’s about seeing people as human beings, being flexible and creating an environment where people can flourish.”

Respecting and listening are important for a leader. People want to see that their leader is visible and to be part of the conversations and decision making.

GILLIAN CH ARLESWORTH CEO, BRE Group

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

The best leaders always make you feel like they have time for you, no matter how busy they are or how much is going on.

RUTH SHAW General Manager, The Premier League Charitable Fund

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2 C O M M U N I C AT E WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH In today’s tech-driven and fastpaced world, it’s never been more important for leaders to reach out constantly to their employees, reinforcing what an asset they are.

People aren’t machines – we all have loved ones, responsibilities and difficult times we go through outside of work. Good companies recognise this and look out for their people through the lows and highs, without expecting anything in return. In my experience, the kindest teams have been the best performing teams because they want each and every person in that team to succeed and be happy.

PAT R I C I A B R O L LY Head of Products, Central Europe, Visa

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

I met the Dalai Lama two years ago and he shared this quote: ‘If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito in the room.’ I love this reminder that the smallest actions can change the world. If there’s one thing that all of us can do to make a difference, it would be to focus on acknowledgement, celebration and recognition. In my experience, these are almost always more effective than pay

JACQUELINE DE ROJAS CBE

increases, training and promotions.

As President of techUK,

Jacqueline is always generous

Jacqueline is one of the

with her time, advising,

UK’s most senior figures in

mentoring and using her

tech. A strong advocate for

network to help and support

the industry as a whole, she

others. She believes leaders

encourages behaviour that’s

who project warmth are more

mutually supportive between

effective than people who

entrepreneurs, government and

lead with toughness. While

major corporates. She focuses

she can be brutally honest,

on helping those in the tech

especially about where the

world provide proactive and

tech community is falling short,

practical opportunities that

she does so in a way that’s

encourage diversity or that use

encouraging. Kindness is at

tech for good in tackling today’s

the heart of how she finds this

global challenges.

balance.

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3 C E L E B R AT E A N D RECOGNISE

To create an engaged and happy team, kind leaders recognised the importance of being encouraging and responsive.

Saying thank you goes a long way. “People don’t understand the massive value of saying thank you when someone has done well,” said one leader. “I often leave thank you notes on people’s desks or go out of my way to thank them when they’ve done something positive which

In a world where attracting and retaining the best available talent can provide a significant competitive edge, it’s vital to achieve high levels of employee

I just didn’t expect. I see a huge

engagement. Creating

change in behaviour when I’ve

a positive and

encouraged people in these ways.”

The importance of celebration

supportive culture plays a major role in

was also underlined. “We put

achieving this, and

people up for awards, and we

kindness is at its

shower them in praise and congratulations. That means

heart.

more than a salary rise or a bonus. People see that they’re really making a difference.”

ANNE RICHARDS CEO, Fidelity International

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

Andy Marsh is the Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Constabulary. A truly inspirational leader, Andy took on the role in 2016 when the force had experienced a period of turbulence and low morale. Trust in the community needed to be rebuilt. Andy set the standard from the beginning. With his passion for empowerment, relationship building and honesty, he was

We need to create an environment where police officers and staff can flourish and grow. In this context, kindness and caring are the ultimate professional advantage.

Since we changed our values to caring, learning, inclusion and courage – and we made kindness and caring explicit – there’s been significant

able to rebuild the confidence of

improvement in

the community and build officer

employee wellbeing

and staff morale.

and engagement.

It is notable that Andy personally chairs the force’s Health and Wellbeing Board.

In a hierarchical organisation, bound by rank and with historic memories of authoritative leadership, his innovative approach is helping build the future of modern policing.

ANDY MARSH

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4 BE HONEST

It was clear from our research that if top-level management are open and direct, people feel valued. Our results saw kindness towards people as a strength that helped build a positive organisational culture.

It was definitely not considered to be a sign of weakness, nor a soft concept.

Importantly, kindness has to go hand-in-hand with honesty. One

Treating people

leader spoke for many, saying,

with kindness does

to have straight, open and

not mean shirking difficult messages - it is about approaching people with humanity.

S A R A H D E AV E S Managing Director, Client Relationships & Wealth Advice, Schroders Personal Wealth

“In the workplace, it’s essential honest conversations.”

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

REBECCA ROBINS

In her role as Chief Culture and Learning Officer of Interbrand, Rebecca Robins’ commitment to culture and learning runs deep. She’s been a catalyst for Interbrand’s focus on learning and development, through her dynamic leadership of the Interbrand Academy, a global learning platform and centre of excellence in brands and the

Leading with kindness is leading with understanding, with empathy, with trust, honesty and transparency. It’s supporting people to be

business of branding.

their best, in every way

Rebecca is a member of

and at every level. It’s

Omnicom’s Omniwomen

nurturing culture, it’s

Committee and has spoken at global conferences, on the subject of culture and diversity in business. Above all, she holds fast to the belief that brands have the power to change the world, and it begins with people.

Many of her colleagues see her leadership as a transformative power for individuals, teams and the business as a whole.

investing in the human connections in business.

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5 A C C O M M O D AT E PERSONAL ISSUES Kind leaders invariably have an understanding of the personal concerns of employees and do everything in their power to support them. One leader spoke about the need to use rules – about the length of sick leave, for instance – as guidance: “In exceptional circumstances, personal judgement should be used to overrule them.”

And as another put it: “It’s about

We’re all formed by a mix of personal and work experiences, moulded by behaviours of those around us and affected by key standout events in our careers. Often those events are when someone intervened to support and develop us or put their reputation on the line to help promote us. A random act of kindness from one person can be a game

seeing people as human beings,

changer for someone else – I’ve certainly never

being flexible and creating an

forgotten the kindness, support and warmth I

environment where people can flourish – offering remote working as an option, for instance.”

experienced from my old boss when my son was gravely ill in hospital.

LIV GARFIELD Chief Executive, Severn Trent

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

Kindness is fundamental to building relationships, and the most important aspect of business is relationships. Our lives continue to get more stressed due to personal and professional demands.

Understanding the Patrick Olson is the Chief

Patrick is the executive sponsor

Product Officer at BlackRock,

of BlackRock’s EMEA Women’s

where he coordinates

Network, and of BlackRock’s

strategically important issues

participation in the 30% Club.

and opportunities facing the

Receptive to the needs and

business globally. Beyond his

challenges facing women in

phenomenal business drive and

the industry, he’s a committed

achievements, Patrick embodies

mentor and sponsor, determined

kindness in leadership. He’s

to help others reach their

passionate about encouraging

potential.

challenges faced by individuals – and showing some empathy – builds tremendous loyalty.

emerging talent and empowering individuals to take emotional ownership of what they do at the firm.

PAT R I C K O L S O N

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NEARLY TWO THIRDS OF THE PEOPLE AGREE SPECIFICALLY THAT

empathy is an important quality of being a kind leader

Hall & Partners 2019 Employee Research

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

69%

66%

L I S T E N T O OT H E R S A N D

A R E C O N S I D E R AT E O F T H E N E E D S

VA L U E T H E I R V I E W S

OF THOSE AROUND THEM

63%

60%

T R E AT OT H E R S W I T H R E S P E C T

M A K E OT H E R S F E E L U N D E R S T O O D A N D VA L U E D

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6 T R E AT OT H E R S WITH RESPECT The business case for being kind is robust and strong.

Kindness and respect go hand in hand, a particular blend that builds productivity and loyalty, which leads to better performance. One leader commented, “People are a company’s greatest asset, and more engaged people work harder. Being treated with respect and kindness resonates with colleagues, making them more likely to go the extra mile.”

From an employee perspective,

Kindness is a fundamental part of creating an atmosphere in which people can work happily and thrive.

If there’s a culture of respect, inclusiveness and collaboration, anything is possible.

it was recognised that “a great

A N YA H I N D M A R C H

manager is someone who

Founder and Creative Director,

respects me and wants the best

Anya Hindmarch London

for me.” It would be good if more leaders could take this advice on board, so we can see the 54% figure increasing.

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

If our world is to avoid becoming ever more divided, we need leaders who care about people and act as role models in treating all with respect. With political leaders failing in this, business leaders can show the way and lead a shift in our culture.

As BRE Group’s Chief

Gillian believes that leading with

Executive, Gillian Charlesworth

kindness – by which she means

is responsible for the

respect, honesty, inclusivity and

organisation’s strategy and

fairness – motivates people

performance. She is passionate

to do their best every day and

about the importance

strive for results, producing

and potential of the built

long-term success for both

environment in supporting

organisations and individuals.

sustainable, vibrant and productive life on the planet.

She aims to be a responsible leader, choosing to work in purpose-led organisations and ensuring that she always does what’s right for her business and its stakeholders, including wider society.

GILLIAN CH ARLESWORTH

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7 CHAMPION AND E N C O U R A G E OT H E R S

People want those who manage them to want the best for them.

They believe that “kind leaders are progressive and forward thinking; they encourage adaptability and personal growth.” Leaders recognise that listening, conversing and mentoring all require time and commitment. “The amount of ask for time is huge,” said one leader. “I would say somewhere between 25–30 percent of my time is spent in mentoring.”

Good leaders will get results. But great leaders will get results by getting the best out of people. And to get the best out of people you have to see – and actively look for – the best in people. That’s kindness in action.

J A C K I E S C U L LY Deputy Managing Director, Think Publishing

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

PHIL SMITH

As the former Chief Executive of Cisco UK & Ireland (2008–16) and a current advisor, Phil Smith has made an incredible impact on the culture of the business.

He has a passion for invoking societal change and was instrumental in building Cisco’s relationships with government, business and academia, helping change the way people work,

A few years ago, a number of courageous women participated in a session where they shared some honest thoughts about working at our company. One woman talked about how hard it was to take a

live, play and learn in the UK.

7pm call every evening with her team,

Under Phil’s leadership,

based in California. This was the time

thousands of individuals

she put her son to bed. Following the

have benefitted from Cisco’s training programmes and skills initiatives. With the world moving at such a pace, Phil

session, I encouraged her to talk to her manager in the US. Guess what

appreciates that it’s easy to

happened? Her manager was shocked

feel left behind. “Sometimes,

as he hadn’t realised the impact it

a thoughtful kindness can help even the most confident of us realise we’re not alone.”

He’s a celebrated mentor and determined to help others achieve their very best; the following anecdote he shared clearly struck a chord.

was having. He immediately changed the time of the meeting to suit and all was well - a bit of thought, a bit of kindness and the world became a better place.

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A kind leader constantly reinforces what an asset its employees are; they give maximum support to personal development and also offer wellness and ethical support.

A great manager is someone who respects me and wants the best for me.

Hall & Partners 2019 Employee Research

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

A kind leader develops its team by encouraging new ideas and ways of working.

Kind leaders are progressive and forward thinking; they encourage adaptability and personal growth.

The top level management are open and direct, and you feel valued as an employee.

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8 BE INCLUSIVE

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All ten leaders from 2018 overwhelmingly agreed that kind behaviours and actions have a positive impact on the culture and performance of organisations.

Kindness builds trust and collaboration. As one leader said, “Leaders who lead with kindness can encourage trust in a team. Kind behaviours create a space for people to unlock their potential.”

Collaboration among employees leads to inclusive thinking and shared decisions. As a leader in the high-tech sector

Let’s face it: It rarely matters how good the plan is. The key to achieving great outcomes is to build great relationships.

From there you can bring a team together – inspire, uplift and motivate them. That’s why teams inspired by leaders who

emphasised, “We have to bring

understand tolerance

everyone with us, and that’s part

and inclusion achieve

of what inclusion and diversity mean. Diversity is a key feature of kind organisations.”

great things.

JACQUELINE DE ROJAS CBE President, techUK

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

Liv Garfield is the FTSE 100’s youngest female CEO. Her current role is Chief Executive of Severn Trent, a water company serving 4.5 million homes and employing over 6,500 people.

Liv is passionate about delivering major infrastructure projects and making a difference to social mobility.

She works hard to ensure that Severn Trent is involved with education in schools and seen as a great place to work. She’s not afraid to get involved in all aspects of the business and, a few days a week, spends time out of the office visiting sites, including keeping an eye on the sewers.

I believe the role of a leader is to create a culture where every colleague can be the best they can possibly be. A culture based on inclusivity, kindness, meritocracy and integrity has the best chance of allowing people to shine.

LIV GARFIELD

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9 BE HUMANE Across our findings, there was a common recommendation that more research, discussion and training on the impact of kindness be undertaken.

“We expect compassion from people, but we don’t talk about it enough. If you create a better society for people to operate in, they will be happier. They will do more.”

This is a virtuous cycle that can help us all live happier lives.

We launched a campaign called Dispossessed – about people in and around London who had fallen out of society: we highlighted their plight to the public. The public responded brilliantly and the impact on our readership was magnificent.

DOUG WILLS Managing Editor, The Evening Standard and The Independent

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

Joanna McGrath is the Founder of The Creative School, a company that helps school and university leavers, and those looking for a career change, to understand the ins and outs of agency life. By offering coaching and mentoring, the school supports the leaders of tomorrow and also, importantly, drives diversity in the industry.

Joanna’s greatest talent is the way in which she balances

Today’s world is so crazy busy and increasingly automated, so to demonstrate small kindnesses as a leader engenders loyalty. It shows you actually care about the people that work for you – as people, not as a group of robots that ‘perform work’ for the company. There’s no business without people, and kindness in business reminds us that we’re all human.

team happiness with company productivity. She champions an empathetic style of leadership that puts her people and clients ahead of profit, but still proves that this, in fact, serves the bottom line well. Joanna’s never afraid to roll up her own sleeves – she’s ever cheerful, undaunted by any challenge, and unfailingly supportive of brave ideas and each member of her team.

J O A N N A M C G R AT H

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10 MAKE KINDNESS YO U R P H I LO S O P HY Underpinning all the reflections of the leaders we interviewed was a shared belief in the value of kindness as an underlying philosophy for our lives and our work. Kindness as a philosophy guides kind leaders to be respectful to others, to show empathy and to be compassionate. As one leader emphasised, “The Golden Rule of ‘do unto others what you would have them do unto you’ really matters.”

Through their pride in kind leadership and their underlying belief in a philosophy of kindness, the leaders we

Most of the biggest challenges facing the world today are not matters that can be resolved by any one person, organisation or institution.

Collaboration is key to success and human kindness is at the heart of a collaborative society.

interviewed are helping to

SEAN TOMPKINS

improve people’s lives. Kindness

CEO, RICS

can change a life for the better.

Being a kind leader is a powerful mantra to guide us through our lives.

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

with the power of kindness we can change the world

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almost everyone believes that being kind at work is important to them

Hall & Partners 2019 Employee Research

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

96%

IMPORTANT

4% LESS IMPORTANT

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50 LEADING LIGHTS 2019 We are delighted to announce our 2019 Kindness & Leadership 50 Leading Lights list, supported by Unilever. This list recognises the contribution of kind leaders to business, the economy and society. Kind leaders change lives, transform organisations and collaborate. Kind leaders inspire creativity and productivity, share meaningful connections, and give their time so that others can give their best. By empowering others to succeed, kind leaders create an environment for the organisation as a whole to succeed.

By recognising the contribution of these leaders, we want to inspire others and to recast perceptions of ‘strong’ leadership. We want kindness to be seen as a strength in leadership, as a quality and a currency that empowers change.

When Gay and Lalit interviewed 10 of our 2018 listees, one thing that shone through was that they were all proud to have been named as kind leaders. They share a pride in being kind to others and observed positive results arising from their behaviours and acts of kindness. One male leader remarked, “It’s unique – you don’t hear of senior male executives being tagged as having kindness as a metric to be measured on. Yet don’t we all want to interact with people who are kind?”

The leaders saw kindness as a definite strength: kindness towards people builds a positive organisational culture. It was definitely not considered to be a sign of weakness, nor a soft concept. It has to be underpinned by honesty.

Kindness is a “how” of your work, leading towards a cultural legacy. As one leader said, “I like to see myself as a woman who is kind, who loves her job and wants to do well. If these are the footprints we can leave, they are much better footprints than anything else.”

Congratulations to all those honoured in the 2019 Kindness & Leadership 50 Leading Lights list, supported by Unilever. Be proud of your listing and share it with others – and help to recast the concept of strong leadership.

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

SENIOR LEADERS

D AV I D FA R R O W

SUSIE HILLS

Head of International Corporate

Co-Founder and Joint Chief

SAIRAH ASHMAN

Banking

Executive Officer

Global Chief Executive Officer

Barclays

Halpin Partnership

VICTORIA FOX

SALIM JANMOHAMED

ASTRID BERKMAN

Chief Executive Officer

Managing Director

Partner and Business Director

AAR

Karali Group

CHRIS FREELAND

R O N K A L I FA

Chief Executive Officer

Chairman

RAPP UK

Network International

Advancement

STEPHEN GOULD

HELEN KINGS

University College London

Managing Director

Managing Director

Everards Brewery

Touchstone

Head Chef

W A N D A H A M I LT O N

J O A N N A K I N G S T O N - D AV I E S

Kai Mayfair

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Canada UK Foundation

The Jackson Lees Group

Executive Director

PA M E L A H A R P E R

J Ü R G E N K LO P P

CBRE

Chairman and Chief Executive

Team Manager

Officer

Liverpool Football Club

Wolff Olins

Rail South Arcadis C AT H Y B R O W N Director of Strategy and Operations,

ALEX CHOW

AMANDA CLACK

J U L I A N D AV I D

Halcyon Days

Chief Executive Officer techUK

L E S M AT H E S O N ANNE-WIL HARZING

Chief Exectutive Officer, Personal

Professor in International

Banking

ALEX DEPLEDGE

Management

RBS

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Middlesex University Business

Resi

School

MARGARET MCCABE Founder and Chief Executive Officer

J A N E E VA N S

RACHEL HIGHAM

Founder

Managing Director of IT

The Uninvisibility Project

BT

Debate Mate

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H A L L & PA RT N E R S

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SAÏD BUSINESS SCHOOL

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

KIM MORRISH

JANET POPE

NAFISA BAKKAR

Director

Chief of Staff and Group Director,

Co-Founder and Chief Executive

Ground Control

Responsible Business and Inclusion

Officer

Lloyds Banking Group

Amaliah

E L L I OT M O S S Partner and Director of Business

SARWJIT SAMBHI

E M I LY C S I Z M A Z I A

Development

Chief Exectutive Officer UK

Senior Inclusion and Diversity

Mishcon de Reya

Centrica

Manager

LEENA NAIR

A M A N D A S C OT T

Chief Human Resources Officer

Managing Director

M A A M E YA A K W A F O - A K OT O

Unilever

Willis Towers Watson

Senior Associate, Funds & Asset

VIVEK NAMA

ALISON SERGEANT

Consultant Gynaecologist and Lead

SVP Head of Group IT Services and

Gyn Oncologist

Operations

J A C K PA R S O N S

Croydon University Hospital

RenaissanceRe

Chief Executive Officer

TRUDY NICKELS

ROSEMARY SQUIRE

Director

Joint Chief Executive Officer and

E R N E S T I N A P OT T S

The Brompton Fountain

Executive Chair

Group Purpose and People

Trafalgar Entertainment

Experience Manager

Lloyds Banking Group

Management Allen & Overy

Big Youth Group

H AY L E Y N O R F O R D Head of Operations EMEA Invesco

Virgin LIEUTENANT GENERAL RICHARD WARDLAW OBE

K AT Y R I T C H I E

Chief of Defence Logistics and

Interim Head of National

A L E X A N D R A N OTAY

Support

Programmes

Build to Rent Fund Director

MOD

England and Wales Cricket Board

PfP Capital EMMA WILLIS MBE DL

KIM ROWELL

VA N E S S A O G D E N

Founder and Managing Director

Assistant Editor

Chief Executive Officer and

Emma Willis and Style for Soldiers

BBC Stories

R I S I N G S TA R S

Managing Director

Headteacher Mulberry Schools Trust

C A R O LY N S T E B B I N G S

JOANNA PLACE

Code Worldwide

Deputy Governor, Chief Operating

RIM ADEM

Officer

Senior Surveyor

BARBARA ZIENIEWICZ

Bank of England

CBRE

Co-founding Director CANNT Talks & CPASS

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

The Hall & Partners Kindness Team

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