#39 A revolution of kindness

Meet moments of kindness in 2024

2024 - Lausanne, Schaffhausen, Zurich

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This Yuanfen story took me nearly a year to write. I revisited my notes from January, March, and April on the topic. Then, I became a mother and everything changed. I took six months off social media, including LinkedIn and Substack. To be fully present for my son. Now, the world looks so different from when I started to craft this story. Yet the sense of urgency remains the same. It’s time for a revolution of kindness.

What makes us human?

In my last story, I talked about connections to oneself as a starting point for any transformation, and I reflected that the ability to connect our mind and our body reactions makes us inherently human.

I have not yet mastered the perfect symbiosis of my human traits and all the AI tools available, after 6 months off the phone. It’s still a to-do on my list.

What I did manage despite hours, days and months spent breastfeeding, changing diapers, and cuddling a newborn, were a few moments for my Yoga and meditation routine. A few minutes a day, a few conscious breaths daily, on the toilet, or when my son finally fell asleep.

These moments of presence were so essential to connect to me. I needed to give myself some self-compassion and acknowledge that I was doing fine. Even when I was crying after 1-2 hours of total sleep night multiple nights in a row. Also, when breastfeeding didn’t work.

I knew my daily mindfulness moments were essential to keep me sane. 

It was the pre-requisite to be here for someone else during my most fundamental transformation.

Share kindness in an organizational context

I realized that being kind to myself was an essential skill in 2024 also in the work context. Especially during the preparation for a collaborative workshop day at our Top 100+ Leadership Summit, I had to find my way around during pregnancy. I shared the ups and downs of a growing belly, the hours my doctor forced me to rest, and the early contractions. While always keeping the project goals and targets in sight.

On the summit day, I treated myself with kindness and took short naps between my moderation slots (I didn’t know back then that my son would enter this world only a week later).

I treated myself with kindness and let others help.

Time for a revolution

Let’s not do all of it alone. By accepting help and support, I witnessed how my circle of influence indirectly further expanded.

A week before the Summit (so 2 weeks before birth), I was forced to reduce my working hours to 40%. Pretty though before a major event. Yet thanks to meticulous project management over the last six months and an incredible team, I could fully focus on my moderation task and resting.

While I rested and hoped for the green light from my doctor to be there on the day, Alexia, Susanne, and the rest of our incredible facilitation team had it all ready. The workshop materials for 14 break-out sessions. The slide deck for the moderation. The group assignments, the print-outs, the posters, the name tags, the materials, all of it.

Everyone put all their energy into our common goal. To create a day, where the senior leaders of the company could meaningfully connect to the business challenges at hand. With focus and collaboration. And with kindness.

We infused the day with mindfulness breaks and used workshop formats to ensure active listening and meaningful conversations could take place.

After that day in April, I truly felt, how a gentle revolution of kindness is all we need. Kindness towards oneself, the willingness to help, and being helped.

When reality hits

It’s a silent revolution. It takes place when a child doesn’t stop to cry. When election outcomes sadden us. When people get laid off. When life suddenly takes an unexpected direction.

In all these moments, we have a choice. To complain or hide our feelings. Or to accept the ups and downs and stay kind with us and others. To get support and help others.

A circle of influence gets bigger with seemingly small efforts. To talk to our project teams. To listen to our employees. To hold a crying child tight to our bodies for hours.

It’s in us all

In 2024, I’ve received so much kindness.

Our CEO, constantly asked whether I was doing fine during the Leadership Summit. 

Friends and family brought ridiculous amounts of food to our home and offered to take day and nightshift, so Philipp and I could rest.

I received a flood of messages and reactions to my LinkedIn post last week and already had many engaging conversations since then.

I received so much support in setting up my own company in all kinds of ways.

Help with sharpening the value proposition, in dealing with taxes, MWST, finances, AGBs, websites, branding, and the best ways to organize.

In all those moments I realize we are not alone out there.

People want to help. Colleagues and the network want to support. Family and friends want to be there for us.

At least in my experience, humans are most days inherently kind.

Let’s remember this and work together towards the future we wish for. For us and the next generations to come.

With kindness towards ourselves and the people around us.

Starting today.

Yes, you can run and moderate a day of a Leadership Summit a week prior to birth. Just don’t to it alone.