Leading With Kindness

I was first drawn to the book Leading With Kindness because of the title and the author William Baker, who spent 20 years as president of WNET public television. I have always thought that “leading” and “kindness” are not mutually exclusive but necessary characteristics in serving students, teachers, and parents.

Chapters include:
What Kind Leaders Do
Who Kind Leaders Are
Expectations Matter
The Truth Matters
Growth Matters
Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders

Sensitive and direct, the book keeps the reader focused on what matters in leadership. Authors Baker and O'Malley convincingly talk about being an effective leader using kindness and establishing credibility. DWYSYWD: Do What You Say You Will Do is a credo cited for introducing three requirements for credibility: have 1) a history of follow-through, 2) expertise, and 3) trust.

I am convinced that leading with kindness is the way to go.