ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an initial consideration of kindness as an organisational value and how it can be exemplified. It aims to throw some light on the types of organisation which do place an emphasis on kindness and some of the traits that the leaders of kind organisations exemplify. The chapter provides some initial evidence of the impact of kindness on organisational functionality, operations and performance. It looks at some organisations that have compassion, empathy and/or kindness as a core value or exemplify kindness. The chapter examines the costs of leading with kindness and discusses the benefits that kindness might bring to the workplace, its culture, functionality and performance. Putting forward kindness was a risk for some and compassion, even though it is a kindness attribute, was seen as an acceptable first step in the University journey towards a more relational leadership approach.
