Kindness is often overlooked in discussions about leadership, overshadowed by terms like compassion and empathy. While all three concepts share common ground, a recent BMJ Leader scoping review reveals that kindness is distinct and equally essential to improving workplace culture, employee engagement and organizational success. However, unlike compassion and empathy, kindness lacks a clear agreed-upon definition in leadership literature, leading to its frequent conflation with the other two terms.
The study synthesized evidence from 42 articles and identified that kindness, compassion and empathy each occupy a different place on a stimulus–response–action continuum. Compassion is typically linked to suffering while empathy is an internal process that informs our understanding of others. Kindness, however, stands out as an action-based concept—one that can exist in the presence or absence of distress.
This distinction is critical. If kindness is to be effectively embedded in leadership strategies, it must be understood not as a subset of compassion but as a standalone, intentional act that enhances workplace well-being and business performance.
The Missing Link in Leadership Success
For years, organizations have prioritized empathy and compassion as core leadership qualities. Empathy allows leaders to connect with employees’ emotions while compassion motivates them to provide support. But this model is incomplete.
The BMJ Leader review highlights that kindness is an active behavior, one that is purposeful, proactive and can be offered without obligation. Unlike compassion, which often arises as a response to distress, kindness can be demonstrated in any context—whether recognizing an employee’s hard work, offering support during difficult moments or fostering a culture of psychological safety. Research findings reinforce that:
- Kindness strengthens trust and collaboration, creating a high-performance work environment.
- Leaders who exhibit kindness build more engaged and resilient teams, reducing turnover and increasing retention.
- Kindness has a direct impact on business success, influencing morale, productivity and innovation.
Yet, despite these benefits, kindness is rarely measured or systematically integrated into leadership training. Without clear definitions and structured frameworks, organizations risk neglecting one of the most powerful drivers of sustainable business success.
The scoping review introduces a new framework that positions empathy, compassion and kindness along a continuum of human interaction:
- Empathy: The internal process of understanding another person’s emotional state. Empathy is about perspective-taking but it does not necessarily lead to action.
- Compassion: The emotional response to another person’s distress that motivates a desire to help. Compassion builds on empathy but is primarily reactive.
- Kindness: The deliberate action to support, uplift or assist another person. Kindness can be proactive or reactive and does not require distress as a catalyst.
This model underscores why kindness must be recognized as distinct from its counterparts. It is the only concept in this triad that is consistently action-oriented and applicable in any workplace or leadership scenario.
How Leaders Can Build a Culture of Kindness
Understanding kindness as a core leadership trait has profound implications for organizations of all sizes and industries. Leaders who incorporate kindness into their leadership approach can create high-trust environments where employees feel valued, motivated and committed to shared success. To build a culture of kindness, leaders should take these actionable steps:
- Lead by Example: Employees take cues from leadership. Make kindness a visible, everyday practice by recognizing achievements, offering encouragement and showing appreciation for efforts beyond formal reviews.
- Encourage Psychological Safety: When employees feel safe to express themselves, share concerns and admit mistakes without fear of harsh judgment, workplace collaboration and innovation thrive. Leaders who respond to challenges with kindness rather than punishment create an environment where people take productive risks and learn from failure.
- Incorporate Kindness into Business Strategy: Embed kindness into policies, leadership training and performance evaluations. Measuring kindness-related behaviors, such as peer support and mentorship, ensures it remains a priority at every level of the organization.
- Make Kindness a Hiring and Promotion Factor: Organizations that prioritize kindness in leadership selection and promotions see long-term benefits in employee satisfaction and retention. Evaluate leadership candidates not just on their results but also on how they treat others.
- Use Kindness to Strengthen Client and Stakeholder Relationships: Kindness isn’t just an internal leadership tool—it builds stronger external partnerships as well. Leaders who treat clients, suppliers and stakeholders with genuine kindness foster loyalty, long-term trust and a competitive business advantage.
Kindness as the Future of Leadership
As businesses face rapid change, workforce challenges and shifting expectations, kindness must move from being seen as an optional trait to a strategic imperative. The BMJ Leader review makes it clear: kindness is not secondary to compassion and empathy—it is an essential leadership quality in its own right.
If kindness remains undefined, unmeasured and underutilized, organizations will continue to overlook one of their most powerful tools for enhancing workplace culture, improving performance and driving long-term success. For leaders looking to take action, the best place to start is simple: prioritize kindness as a leadership strategy, embed it into daily decision-making and ensure it becomes a defining characteristic of great leadership.
By cultivating kindness within their teams, leaders can unlock greater collaboration, inspire innovation and foster loyalty that withstands economic and industry fluctuations. More than just a feel-good concept, kindness in leadership drives measurable success and creates workplaces where people thrive. The future of leadership belongs to those who recognize that kindness is not just a moral choice—it’s a strategic necessity that builds resilient, high-performing organizations.
Disclaimer: The author of this article is an associate editor at BMJ Leader but was not involved in the research cited. The study was referenced to provide context on leadership and kindness, and the interpretations and conclusions presented here are solely those of the author.