Industry digest: can leaders be kind and successful?

In a recent LinkedIn article, Richard Branson identified kindness as one of the three pillars of great leadership, along with leading from the front and decision-making.

This set me thinking. 

Is there room for kindness in a sector like the automotive industry, where change and disruption is constant, M&A activity is rife and things are rarely business as usual?

Is kindness even desirable in a leader when, as a director, you have a statutory responsibility to act in the best interests of the company?

If your cost base is running out of control, you can’t keep employees in post simply because it’s the kind thing to do. 

I’ve experienced enough cost-cutting and restructuring in my career as a business leader to know that reducing headcount is never a pleasant process, but it’s something that just has to be done. It’s what you signed up for. 

And yet, within the parameters of doing what is right for the business, I would agree with Branson that kindness is a key attribute when it comes to leaders engaging with their teams and bringing out the best in them.

On both a transactional and human level, I’m sure the back-office at Manchester City came to work with a spring in their step after Pep Guardiola reached into his own pocket this summer and handed each of them a £10k bonus to thank them for their contributions. 

His act of generosity reminded me of tales about Michael Schumacher, who, despite his aloof public exterior, famously bought Christmas presents for the entire team and always made a point remembering team members’ birthdays and the names of their children. 

While many businesses focus on throwing money at staff retention strategies through employee benefits and rewards, the simple act of engaging with team members, building a two-way relationship and showing them they are valued and respected is, I would argue, a better way to maximise return.

When I’m interviewing for senior automotive roles, candidates will often recall a particular manager from their past who had a huge influence on their career by going the extra mile and who became a role model for their own leadership style. Good practice begets good practice.  

Kindness, in this sense, comes down to empathy – a quality that has given rise to countless psychological definitions and descriptions but which, for me, comes down to recognising and understanding what another person needs and then taking action to support them.