767: Being Nice May Not Be Kind, with Gr...

Graham Allcott: KIND

Graham Allcott is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, and the founder of Think Productive, a leading provider of training and consultancy. He is the author of multiple books, including the bestseller How to Be a Productivity Ninja and his latest book, KIND: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

“Nice” means telling people what they want to hear. “Kind” means telling them what they need to hear. The best leaders are kind. In this conversation, Graham and I explore how we can do a better job of following through.

Key Points

• “Nice” means telling people what they want to hear, whereas “kind” means telling them what they need to hear.
• Kindness is both concern for others and concern for self. Just like with salted caramel, it’s best with the right balance.
• Leaders often do better articulating vision and values than they do with getting clear on expectations of value each person should provide.
• Being clear is an act of kindness in itself because it drives psychological safety.
• Use a personal mantra as a concise and powerful way to consistently remind people about what’s most important.
• Invite others to “give the last 20%” in feedback to uncover areas where clarity would help.

Resources Mentioned

• KIND: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work by Graham Allcott (Amazon, Bookshop)*
• Rev Up for the Week (Graham’s newsletter)

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

• Five Steps to Hold People Accountable, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 306)
• How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404)
• How to Give Feedback, with Russ Laraway (episode 583)

Discover More

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.