The Power of Practical Kindness in Leadership, According to Florence Divet ☀️

In a recent LinkedIn post, Florence Divet ☀️ explores the critical, yet often overlooked, role of practical kindness in effective leadership. Divet argues that leaders frequently forget that employees bring their entire personal lives, with all their complexities, into the workplace, impacting their professional demeanor and performance. This oversight, she suggests, can lead to misjudgments about a colleague’s tone or motivation.

Divet highlights the common workplace scenarios where a leader might misinterpret a colleague’s actions without understanding the underlying personal struggles. She emphasizes that the “home self” is inseparable from the “office self,” carrying the weight of unseen challenges.

“People don’t leave their ‘home self’ at the office door. They bring the whole messy, beautiful, complicated suitcase with them. And you don’t get to see 90% of what’s inside.”

The Underrated Skill of Practical Kindness

Florence Divet ☀️ identifies kindness, not as a soft or optional trait, but as a fundamental and practical skill for leaders. This form of kindness, according to Divet, involves acknowledging that you don’t know what others are going through and offering support without demanding explanations.

As Divet puts it:

“I don’t know what you’re carrying, and you don’t have to tell me. Just know I’m here, and if there’s something I can do to take weight off your shoulders, say the word.”

She further asserts that this approach is a significant performance multiplier, fostering an environment where teams can think clearer, collaborate better, and feel seen and valued as humans. This creates a foundation of psychological safety essential for high performance.

Kindness in Action: Practical Examples

Divet provides concrete examples of how this practical kindness can be applied in everyday workplace interactions:

• When a colleague snaps: Instead of reacting defensively, a leader can respond with gentle curiosity, asking, “Hey… that didn’t sound like you. Everything alright?” This approach, according to Divet, is kindness that avoids assuming the worst.
• When someone seems distracted: Rather than judging the lack of focus, a leader can offer space by asking, “Is now even a good time for this conversation?” Divet frames this as kindness that provides breathing room instead of pressure.
• When a team member appears unmotivated: Divet suggests bypassing judgment and opting for a human check-in, such as, “I’m noticing your energy’s low lately. What’s happening?” This is presented as kindness through curiosity rather than criticism.
• When an employee makes a mistake: Instead of immediate blame, Divet advocates for asking, “What got in the way?” This, she explains, is kindness that seeks to uncover the root causes of errors.

Divet reframes kindness not as a weakness, but as a strength and a skill—the capacity to remain human and empathetic amidst workplace noise and pressure.

“Kindness isn’t softness. It’s skill. It’s the ability to stay human when everything around you gets noisy.”

Ultimately, Florence Divet ☀️ concludes that leading with this form of kindness can create a powerful team dynamic where empathy and understanding are the norm, making it a true differentiator for effective leadership.