welcome back to "Boss Talks".
A series featuring candid career advice
from some of the best in the business.
Today, we're gonna focus on a topic
that is quickly becoming front and center
at all companies around the world.
And that's the value of kindness at work.
While traditional leadership tells us
to lead with strength and logic,
leaders are rewriting the rules
us to lead with our hearts.
These leaders are embracing the qualities
that allow us to thrive at home.
to help their teams thrive at work.
real financial benefit as well.
So, my very special guest today
knows a thing or two about that.
And I can't wait for you all to meet him.
James Rhee is an investor, a CEO,
a Goodwill strategist and educator.
by marrying capital with purpose.
really inspiring Ted Talk
on the value of kindness at work
which has seen nearly 2 million views
people all over the world.
James, my friend, welcome to "Boss Talks".
I know that you've been talking
about the value of kindness at work
And one of the most prominent examples
So, tell us more about that.
- The company was in very tough straights.
It couldn't have been in worse,
who haven't seen the Ted,
I'd never run a company before.
I was a private equity investor.
And I'm not particularly fashionable.
And the business was serving predominantly
Black women in this country.
And so, the odds of any of this happening
and so these days I say to people,
that situation on surface
would've seemed difficult."
And during my first town hall,
it sort of came from my soul somewhere
where I gave a pretty unorthodox speech
about what I thought we could do together
and I mentioned the word kindness.
And it wasn't particularly planned.
Like a lot of good things,
And I said, "Yeah, kindness."
which required us to use the right math,
to enhance kindness and to amplify it.
And it worked quite well.
- So, let's double click into that
where everything about work
is being totally re-imagined.
Where we work, how we work, how we lead.
Everything right now is just on the table.
really tactical for folks.
- Sure, I think I'm gonna break that down.
So, what's kindness first.
'cause definitions are really important
and we're spending a lot of
time in our society right now
talking about life, work,
capital, what does it all mean?
So, kindness for those who snickered,
I think they had the wrong definition.
They equated it with some
sort of saccharine niceness.
That's not really what kindness is.
Kindness to me and a lot of philosophies.
It's really what it is, is that
you are ultimate fiduciary
getting anything from it.
You are helping someone achieve
and be their best version of their self.
It's not yourself, it's their self.
And that's what kindness is.
Ultimately, you're helping someone
become accountable to themselves.
And if you put it in that context,
servant leadership is, right?
It allows leadership to last
long after the leader leaves
because the culture's not
Everyone is actually the leader.
Everyone's leading themselves first
and then once you can lead yourself,
you're more capable of contributing
to a collective social community,
to be part of a collective.
- It's really common I think for people
to think of love and compassion
as qualities that only work at home.
But we do need to and we get to now
bring our full selves where we
go whether it's home or work.
So, what are your tips for folks out there
to dictate the culture, right?
And that's a fair comment.
But go find someone that creates
that micro environment for you
incredibly tough criticism.
It's the stuff that you don't wanna hear.
to say it to you, but they care
enough about you to say it.
see it, when you feel it.
And that visceral instinct
You know when people have
your best interests at heart.
- And part of kindness is
making room for mistakes,
Making mistakes yourself,
forgiving yourself, and then as leaders,
mistakes are gonna happen.
and grace from your team?
I take issues very seriously.
it's a very fine balance.
- And so that's what I do is like if,
and I say, if I can make fun of myself
and tell you that I don't know
the answer, like, can't you?
can start taking these risks
and you're not gonna get yelled at,
but you've also designed a system
that allows people to take that risk?
That's what creates innovation.
And that's what I meant in my Ted
It's not self-aggrandizing innovation.
- So James, how do you bounce back
when you make a mistake though?
own up to it immediately.
Yeah, I screwed up. I'm sorry.
I really am. Like, I made a mistake.
cultures that I'm a part of,
There's a real equivalent like using words
when in your personal life,
to yourself and to others.
But I think at work, rather
than using the word, grace,
the word slack is also very important.
So slack in time, slack in operations,
that you're not demanding perfection.
It's important and it could
lead to longer term productivity
that people don't burn out.
of Entrepreneurship at Howard University.
about seeing their values
reflected in the workplace.
And then, they become productive workers
and give us returns and so,
what tips do you have for
to help prepare this next generation
for entering into the workforce
with that lens of kindness?
- I think that the current
employers they better know
they're not gonna tolerate
you and I grew up with in the,
they're just not going to.
Employers who don't understand this
As an employer and companies,
they just have to focus on,
less on the big review, the big bonus.
Are you investing in your people?
- And I think that's so critical now
It's really top of mind for
employees and leaders right now.
of what we talked about today
and to engage our employees?
- It requires a perspective
change that sort of to breathe.
And do you agree with the premise
of someone's personal life?
place where you keep learning.
knowledge with colleagues.
I think that people who can
be incredibly collaborative
and build these cooperative ecosystems
and leaders and individuals,
they will quote, they'll win.
economy, knowledge sharing
and you all have done that, right?
and you've done that effectively.
- You took the words right outta my mouth.
That's a sharing ecosystem.
And that's ecosystem for a reason.
And I think one that's based on kindness,
intentional kindness is great.
So, my friend, we have come to my favorite
but my final question for you.
- I think that during very
difficult times and chaos
and massive inflection point
at a company or in society
which is what I believe we are in now.
I can see a lot of things with,
through different lenses at the same time.
And so, in calm I bring people together
and we're able to forge a common solution.
And so, people don't panic.
- And I think we're all very
from your experience today.
So, thank you for joining us.
- Thank you for having me.
I really hope you enjoyed
more episodes of "Boss Talks",
check out the new Salesforce Plus.
To continue boss building,
head on over to trailblazer.salesforce.com
to join millions of trailblazers
who are learning relevant skills,
connecting to fellow trailblazers
the trailblazer community.
With that, I'd like to thank you all
for tuning into Boss Talks
and I'll see you all next time.
