Let’s step back and ask: What does an enterprise need from its staff to succeed? At its core, the overarching objective of any business is performance. Without performance, there’s no business, no staff, and no future. Recognizing that not all traits apply to every position, the qualities businesses should prioritize in their employees include:

• Passion: Employees who care deeply about their work and the enterprise’s success.

• Intellectual Curiosity: A hunger to learn, adapt, and innovate.

• Situational Awareness: The ability to understand the broader dynamics within the enterprise, not just what’s directly in front of them.

• Integrity: Trustworthiness and ethical behavior in all actions.

• Constructive Communication: The ability to engage with colleagues productively and respectfully.

• Dignity and Respect: Treating coworkers as valued individuals, fostering trust and collaboration.

• Business Collegiality and Collaboration: Working together toward shared goals.

• Team Player Mindset: Buying into decisions wholeheartedly—even when they disagree—because they trust the team’s collective judgment.

• Self-Motivation: Thriving on personal achievement without envy or destructive competitiveness.

• Empathy: The ability to support team members who are struggling, recognizing that team success outweighs individual triumphs.

These traits form the foundation of a high-performing workforce. Leaders and staff who embody these qualities naturally exhibit empathy and decency—traits that don’t need to be “taught” but rather nurtured within an empowering and accountable workplace culture.

The Misstep of Kindness Coaching

Kindness coaching oversimplifies the challenge of building effective workplace cultures. Kindness, defined by words like affection, altruism, and sweetness, is more about societal or interpersonal values than practical workplace skills. Businesses don’t need leaders and staff who are simply “kind.” They need emotionally intelligent managers and other staff who can handle challenges constructively, work collaboratively, and contribute meaningfully to the organization’s success.

What kindness coaching overlooks is that the traits that drive workplace culture—empathy, respect, collaboration—are intrinsic to individuals with strong character and integrity. These are not skills to be taught but qualities to be recruited and supported through a culture of empowered accountability with emotional intelligence. It’s not about teaching kindness; it’s about creating an environment where employees feel valued and accountable while having the freedom to excel.

Looking Ahead: The Real Challenge

The fixation on kindness as a business linchpin ignores the seismic shifts on the horizon. As automation and AI advance, the workplace landscape is poised for unprecedented disruption. Unlike the slow exodus of manufacturing jobs to low-cost labor markets over decades, AI’s impact will be instantaneous and far-reaching. Jobs that were once considered secure will vanish in a blink, replaced by algorithms and machines capable of outperforming humans at a fraction of the cost.

In such an environment, focusing on kindness as the solution to workplace challenges feels woefully inadequate. The future will demand resilience, adaptability, and a relentless commitment to performance. Businesses must prepare their workforce for the realities of rapid technological change by cultivating accountability, emotional intelligence, and a results-oriented mindset—not by teaching superficial platitudes.

Conclusion

Empowered accountability with emotional intelligence, not kindness, is what businesses need to thrive. This approach balances respect and collaboration with the drive for performance and innovation. The workforce of the future must be prepared to face the challenges of automation and AI, and the enterprises that survive will be those that recognize the real qualities that drive success. Kindness may have its place, but it is not—and has never been—the linchpin of business performance. It’s time we focus on what truly matters.