TED Business Be Kind: The Most Overlooked Driver of Success | From Think Fast Talk Smart
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Feb 16, 2026 
Bonnie Hayden-Cheng, a management professor and author of The Return on Kindness, studies how kindness shapes workplaces. She explains kind leadership and the RISE framework in short, practical steps. Conversations cover giving candid feedback with care, building kindness at all levels, and designing systems that reward compassionate behavior.
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Kind Leadership Multiplies Value
- Kind leadership is intentional action for the betterment of people and goes beyond small niceties.
- Organizations with kind cultures see higher commitment, lower absenteeism, and better performance.
Apply The RISE Framework
- Use the RISE framework: Role model, Intentional flexibility, Supportive action, and Energy.
- Apply RISE whether you're a manager or any team member to enact kind leadership daily.
Kindness Includes Toughness
- Kindness differs from niceness because kindness includes toughness and honest feedback.
- Kind leaders can hold high standards because their intent earns trust for tough conversations.
