When I first began talking about kindness in business, people often smiled politely, as if it were something nice to do when time allowed, not a serious performance strategy.
But here’s the truth: kindness in hospitality is one of the most measurable and cost-effective drivers of success, especially in the hospitality industry. It impacts everything, from staff retention and guest satisfaction to profit margins and brand reputation.
In the hospitality industry, people are the business. And when people thrive, so does everything else.
Hospitality is powered by emotion, ultimately by how we make people feel. The way a manager greets a team member in the morning can shape how that person greets guests that evening.
Research from Deloitte, Gallup, and Harvard Business Review consistently shows that workplaces built on trust, empathy, and emotional intelligence perform better. Teams led with kindness experience:
It’s not about being soft. It’s about being straight talking. Kindness builds commitment, and committed teams deliver excellence.
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A Culture of Kindness doesn’t just make people happier — it makes them more effective.
A chef who feels supported will step in to help a colleague. A front-of-house team that feels appreciated will handle pressure with grace. These small acts of empathy create ripples that shape the entire guest experience.
And guests can always tell when they’re walking into a place that values its people. They feel it, in the warmth of the welcome, the patience in the service, the pride in the details.
That’s the true ROI of kindness in hospitality: a culture that makes excellence feel effortless.
Of course, kindness doesn’t mean avoiding tough conversations or lowering standards. Real kindness is courageous; it balances empathy with accountability.
That’s the foundation of my Tough Kindness philosophy — the ability to deliver truth with compassion, to set boundaries without breaking trust, and to lead people through challenge with integrity.
In hospitality leadership, where the pace is relentless and expectations are high, Tough Kindness helps leaders hold their teams to high standards while keeping morale strong. It’s a leadership approach that gets results because it builds respect.
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Recommended by Typsy: Showing kindness In this online course, Nahla Summers, a Cultural change consultant and Author of 'A Culture of Kindness', shares new ways to think about what kindness means to you - and how to strengthen your kindness to forge better professional and personal relationships. |
Think of kindness at work as a business investment. The returns are very real:
Kindness pays dividends that spreadsheets often miss — but the impact shows up everywhere.
This idea sits at the heart of my latest work, The Human Equation. It’s a simple but powerful truth: when we focus on people, everything else follows.
Technology, training, and efficiency all matter — but they mean little without emotional intelligence and connection. The leaders who understand that balance — who lead with tough kindness — are building the workplaces of the future.
Kindness isn’t just good for people — it’s good for business.
And in an industry built on service, that might just be the most important performance strategy of all.
If you’d like to explore how kindness can transform your workplace culture, you can find my Culture of Kindness training on Typsy — or visit nahlasummers.com to discover me as a speaker for your business or event. Alternatively, pop over to www.kq2thehumanequation.com. The Human Equation and Tough Kindness programs are designed to help leaders thrive with humanity and strength.