You Can Be Kind and Still Be Strong
Discover how to lead with both courage and compassion without compromising your strength.
You Can Be Kind and Still Be Strong
If there is one thing I would want other women to know, it is this: Never mistake kindness for weakness. You can be kind and still be strong.
For a long time, I think many women have felt like we have to choose. We can be compassionate or commanding. Approachable or respected. A good wife and mother or an ambitious professional. We can lead with our hearts or lead with authority.
I've learned that we don't have to choose.
My Journey Hasn't Been a Perfectly Planned Path
I started my career in education, later found myself building a career in business, went back to school for my MBA, and continued taking on opportunities that stretched me far beyond what I originally imagined for myself. Along the way, I've balanced being a wife, raising three daughters, serving in my church, caring for family, and growing as a professional and a leader.
And I certainly haven't done all of it perfectly.
There have been seasons when I questioned myself. There have been difficult conversations, long days, unexpected changes, and moments when leadership required me to make decisions that weren't easy or popular.
But those experiences taught me something important: strength doesn't require you to become hard.
- You can hold people accountable and still care about them.
- You can say no and still be compassionate.
- You can make difficult decisions and still lead with grace.
- You can walk into a room with confidence without needing to be the loudest person in it.
- You can be successful without becoming someone you don't recognize.
Some of the Greatest Lessons in My Career Have Come From Simply Being Willing to Keep Learning
I don't believe good leaders need to know everything. I believe they need to be willing to listen, ask questions, admit when they don't know something, surround themselves with good people, and keep moving forward.
My faith has also taught me that success is about much more than a title, salary, or position. Those things may mark milestones in our lives, but they don't define our impact. At the end of the day, I want the people I've worked with to remember how I made them feel, that I believed in them, that I challenged them when they needed it, and that I helped make something better than I found it.
So, to the Woman Wondering Whether She Is Ready for the Next Opportunity: Step Forward
Apply for the position. Speak up in the meeting. Ask the question. Go back to school if that's your dream. Take the opportunity that scares you a little. And don't believe that you have to change the best parts of yourself to become a strong leader.
There is tremendous strength in a woman who knows who she is, knows what she stands for, and can lead with both courage and compassion.
Always remember: You can be kind and still be strong. In fact, sometimes kindness is one of the strongest things you can choose.
