In a world that rewards competition and control, kindness is often mistaken for weakness. But what if kindness is actually your most powerful form of influence as a leader? In Episode 8 of Love & Light Leadership, Dr. Phenessa Gray explores kindness—not as surface-level niceness, but as a Spirit-led strength that unites courage, compassion, and truth. Drawing from Colossians 3:12–14 in The Message, Dr. Phenessa reveals how kindness becomes a transformative leadership strategy—one that builds trust, restores dignity, and opens doors no amount of force ever could.

You'll discover:

• The difference between niceness, toxic positivity, and authentic kindness—and how confusing them can derail your leadership
• The neuroscience behind kindness and how it strengthens connection, trust, and psychological safety
• Why Emotional Intelligence and Authentic Leadership Theory affirm kindness as essential for healthy, high-performing teams
• How Jesus modeled kindness as truth wrapped in grace, balancing correction with compassion
• Three practical ways to cultivate Spirit-led kindness this week—from Radical Noticing to building rituals of gratitude
• Why kindness, not comfort, is the real catalyst for growth in faith-based leadership

Whether you’re leading in ministry, education, or the marketplace, this episode offers biblical wisdom and research-backed strategies to help you embody kindness as your everyday leadership superpower—grounded in grace, guided by truth, and anchored in love.

Episode Length: 8-10 minutes

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Love Bold. Live Lit. Lead Forward.
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References

1. Broderick, M. (2019). The heart and science of kindness. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-heart-and-science-of-kindness-2019041816447
2. Cameron, K. S. (2012). Positive leadership: Strategies for extraordinary performance. https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/Glance-Leading-Positively.pdf.
3. Dugo, D., Kant, S., & Alemu, Z. K. (2025). Servant leadership influence on organizational citizenship behavior with the mediation role of emotional intelligence. IGI Global.
4. Gilbert, F. R. R. (2014). Exploring the intersection of servant-leadership and interpersonal neurobiology. International Journal of Servant Leadership.
5. Kumari, K., Abbas, J., Hwang, J., & Cioca, L. I. (2022). Does servant leadership promote emotional intelligence and organizational citizenship behavior among employees? Sustainability, 14(9), 5231.
6. Lumpkin, A., & Achen, R. M. (2018). Explicating the synergies of self-determination theory, ethical leadership, servant leadership, and emotional intelligence. Journal of Leadership Studies, 12(1), 6–22.
7. Ramachandran, S., Balasubramanian, S., James, W. F., & Al Masaeid, T. (2023). Whither compassionate leadership? Management Review Quarterly, 1–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-023-00340-w.
8. Wang, Y. (2019). Pulling at your heartstrings: Examining four leadership approaches from the neuroscience perspective. Educational Administration Quarterly, 55(4), 569–601.