[This Book] "Kindness Equals Weakness" Is a Myth... Removing Obstacles Boosts Organizational Performance

Book: "Kind: The Power of Kindness in a Ruthless World"
Acts of kindness trigger the "love hormone"
Boosts dopamine levels and encourages repeated good deeds
Kindness is contagious, even just by witnessing it
The misconception that "kindness equals weakness" is a major obstacle
Instead, kindness fosters psychological safety and boosts organizational performance
Unlike "niceness," which aims for harmony,
Kindness is focused on achieving goals

Q. "What has helped turn your company into a global enterprise so far?"

A. "Kindness is the driving force behind everything. If you are kind and people trust each other, you will ultimately be the winner. It is such a simple truth."

This was a question the author received, and the answer he gave, during a lecture at a major investment bank in Rome in October 2019. Since founding Think Productive, a company specializing in productivity and work efficiency consulting and training, in 2009, the author has contributed to improving productivity for major global organizations and companies. Hundreds of organizations and companies, including the United Nations General Assembly, the London Business Forum, Amazon, eBay, Volkswagen, and Canon, have enhanced their organizational productivity through his guidance.

The book primarily explores the positive effects of kindness on individuals, organizations, and society, while correcting common misconceptions about kindness. It also analyzes why being kind can be difficult and introduces ways to cultivate kindness.

Drawing on various research findings, the author details the impact of kindness on an individual's emotional state. When people show kindness, the brain releases a chemical known as the "love hormone," which boosts cardiovascular health, helps relieve depression, and fosters a sense of connection. Kindness also increases dopamine levels, which helps people develop a sense of purpose. Dopamine released during the so-called "helper's high"-the positive feeling from helping others-can be highly addictive, encouraging repeated acts of kindness.

Kindness is easily contagious, even just by witnessing acts of consideration for others. In a 2015 study involving employees at Coca-Cola’s Madrid headquarters, the group that performed small acts of kindness for 90 minutes reported higher levels of happiness than the control group. Participants also reported increased positivity toward their work, as well as stronger bonds and trust among colleagues. Interestingly, even coworkers who did not participate in the experiment experienced higher satisfaction. The author explains that simply witnessing kind acts can raise oxytocin levels and reduce stress. In another experiment at Harvard University, participants who watched a 50-minute video of kind acts showed a notable increase in immunoglobulin A (an immune antibody), indicating improved immunity after witnessing kindness.

The author emphasizes that kindness is crucial for organizational performance because it creates psychological safety. According to the Harvard Business Review’s study on "The Cost of Incivility," verbal abuse by managers, blaming others for mistakes, and condescending remarks led to a significant drop in employee productivity. Forty-eight percent of employees reduced the effort they put into their work, and 38 percent intentionally reduced their workload. Eighty percent wasted work hours worrying about work, and 63 percent wasted time avoiding abusive supervisors. Gallup estimates that these productivity losses amount to $7 trillion annually.

So why is it difficult for people to be kind? The author points to several misconceptions that hinder kindness. The book highlights common beliefs, such as the idea that ruthless competition and winning at all costs are necessary for success, the misconception that kindness equals weakness, and the prejudice that kindness is an innate trait. The author argues that high-profile cases like Steve Jobs and Donald Trump, known for their sensitive and unpredictable styles, have contributed to these misunderstandings, when in reality, organizations with a culture of kindness achieve greater success. "Imitating Jobs’s aggressive leadership will not produce the next innovative Apple product... Copying others is not only far from a blueprint for success, but it is also rarely effective."

One important point is that "kindness" and "niceness" are not the same. Niceness often aims to create a harmonious atmosphere, whereas kindness is about achieving goals. For example, offering help unilaterally to someone in need is a "nice act," but first having a conversation to understand their exact needs and then helping is a "kind act." In the UK, there was an attempt to replace the term "brainstorming" with "thought shower" out of concern that it might offend people with epilepsy. However, a survey by the Epilepsy Association found that most people with epilepsy were not offended. This was a nice act, but not necessarily a kind one.

Italy has a tradition called "caff? sospeso," where people pay for a coffee in advance so that someone who cannot afford it can enjoy a free cup. This culture has been passed down in Italy for decades. Some may think, "This would never work in Korea; it would be abused right away." For those people, the book includes an explanation of the mechanism by which experiencing kindness leads to further acts of kindness.

The book’s clear explanations and abundant examples make it easy to understand, though the repetition of similar cases may leave some readers wanting more variety.

Kind: The Power of Kindness in a Ruthless World | Graham Allcott | Translated by Um Sungsoo | Business Books | 360 pages | 19,500 KRW