Your Hidden Superpower: The Kindness That Makes You Unbeatable at Work and Connects You With Anyone.
The author, news correspondent Adrienne Bankert, shares how she discovered, within herself and others, that intentional expressions of kindness can be life-changing for both the giver and the receiver.
Kindness is rare in a world that is busy, intense, and overwhelming.
There seems to be little time for self-kindness, let alone generosity and niceties for everyone else. Often, this hectic pace and influence can lead to a default to unkindness, causing irreparable damage. She argues that kind acts, no matter how small or large, are a magnet for positivity and opportunity and can counteract the side effects of stress. She offers a list of desirable outcomes resulting from developing a habit of kindness. Adrienne firmly believes that this free, easy-to-wield, but genuine act is our hidden superpower.
I like the suggestions she offers for boosting your kindness quotient, including staying loyal to your values, letting go of judgment, and practicing little acts of gratitude. What I also found fascinating is how she demonstrates, through examples, that people have attracted opportunities and purpose through the practice of kindness. Instead of giving up and in, they remained steadfast, embracing kindness, and voila! Purpose, passion, and in one case, a partner, found them.
She also discusses the elephant in the room—the hard truth is everyone is listening, watching, and judging. While this is an unfair characteristic of human nature, it exists. So, in the workplace, in the community, and certainly online, people are making snap decisions about who you are. But just as gossip spreads like wildfire, generosity spreads like wildfire. You shouldn’t live your life worried about what other people think, but your actions and attitude do affect outcomes.
Why not make it a habit to be kind?
As the author argues, it’s free and accessible, yielding a plethora of winning outcomes. Being fully present and engaged, everyone wins. This brings me to an overarching thought I had while reading this book. What about those who reject kindness? I would have liked her to go into more depth on how kindness can backfire, such as when people do not receive kindness well or even interpret it as a good intention. What then? She touches on it, but this reader wanted more.
According to the author, it’s not easy to make it a habit, but all good things take effort. I agree. Habits take about 21 days to manifest. Actions should mirror intentions and be genuine. Kindness doesn’t mean letting people walk all over you; instead, it means being unselfishly kind to yourself first.
Kindness takes courage. I wonder if that’s why it’s so rare. But if kindness matters to you, this book is worth a read.
Book and image courtesy of HarperCollins Leadership
