ABSTRACT
This chapter helps the readers learn about and practice the three key behaviors of the second of the Key Kind Leader Practices: Speak Kindly. The Speak Kindly behaviors are: choose words kindly; use a kind tone of voice; and if it’s not kind, don’t say it. Because leaders’ words travel fast, far and carry a lot of weight, making sure to choose words with kind meanings is something leaders need to deliberately spend time on. Kind words are those that have neutral or positive connotative meanings and that make followers feel positive and encouraged. And because leaders’ words create culture as well, they need to be words that don’t have a negative, fearful connotation and they need to focus on the means, not the ends. Kind words go a long way toward creating relationships with individual followers and model the basics of communication of a kind culture.
