The Triangle of Kindness

Recently at a meeting of an organization I belong to, I was given the privilege of publicly acknowledging someone for the voluntary work she had done. She had generously offered her time and talents to the organization and was now leaving the area for a new job opportunity out of state. As we sometimes do, I led the charge in giving her a public thank you and blessing from our organization to send her on her way.

This took less than five minutes. Yet, everyone felt good in the room. Although a bit caught off guard, she was moved to tears by our gesture of appreciation and the loving sendoff. Being allowed to facilitate this heartfelt experience meant so much to me and felt wonderful.

Those in the room witnessing the whole exchange were moved as well. The energy in the room was palpable and positive. I know everyone was lifted up. 

This is the power of kindness at its finest. There’s a triangle involved every time you have a giver, a receiver, and an observer. The neuroscience of kindness proves to us that whether we are giving kindness, receiving it, or simply witnessing it, the good-feeling chemicals in our brain and body are awakened, and we are changed.

And then, due to that electrical charge in our own bodies, research shows we are far more likely to go and do some act of kindness elsewhere as a result. So kindness literally feels good and is contagious. 

That’s the ripple effect!

On this week’s podcast, I spoke to James Kellock who is the creator of the Ripple Core App (ripplecore.co) which invites us into a whole world of acts of kindness to learn about and then participate ourselves. He shared about his recent “Kindness Hangover” which sounds like a great one to have!

And what does this all mean for your company? 

People are craving real belonging and connection. They are desperate to be noticed and appreciated. They want to know that what they are doing actually matters. 

As James said in the interview, “Every moment of every day, wherever we are, we have two choices ~ to be good (kind, compassionate, respectful, etc.) or not.”

Leading an organization is a microcosm for all of life. You are leading a group of people who want to be seen, heard, and acknowledged. 

I dare you to ask yourself this question every single day:  How kind can I be?