What We're Reading Now

Bosses Can Be Kind and Candid

1 May 2018

Allison read 10 Reasons Nice Bosses Finish First by Travis Bradberry and appreciated how the author handled the delicate balance a supervisor has to strike between kindness and candor.

Tags: allison read, kindness, management and supervision, thoughtful candor

I'll confess that when I saw the title of this blog post, I found myself cringing just a bit and thinking, “Oh dear. Here comes another writer who is going to talk about how tough bosses lead to health problems and nice bosses make for happy, healthy, and motivated employees." The reason this line of thinking worries me is that I’ve seen leaders use it to avoid the difficult conversations that need to be had when employees struggle to meet expectations.

image from Bradberry's post: Photo: #WOCinTech via FLickr

I guessed correctly that Bradberry would begin his post by citing several studies like this one, “A University of London study found an especially strong link between heart disease and boss-inflicted stress.” But, I was pleasantly surprised by his top ten list. In fact, as he explained each item, I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with all his recommendations. I hope seeing the items here inspires you to read his post in its entirety because he explains each one of these in a way that I think is accessible to leaders at every level in an organization.

1. They’re kind without being weak
2. They’re strong without being harsh
3. They’re confident without being cocky
4. They stay positive, but remain realistic
5. They’re role models, not preachers
6. They’re willing to take a bullet for their people
7. They balance work and fun
8. They form personal connections
9. They deliver feedback flawlessly
10. They’re generous

If you find yourself struggling to implement one of these suggestions, please give me a call. There’s little I enjoy more than helping leaders figure out how to be great (and kind) bosses.

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