One of my clients, a Vice President of Finance in a global company, was amazingly positive and upbeat. Where I was supposed to be solving her problems and making her feel better, she had a similar uplifting effect on me. Both of us agreed: we felt better every time we worked together.
At one point I thought her positivity might be phony. Who can be nice so much of the time? But as I watched her interactions with othrs, I saw she was genuine. This is the kind of client I would enjoy all-day, every day. When the assignment was completed, she took me for a celebration lunch and gave me a bottle of wine. When I returned to the office, I sent her a card featuring a William James quote:
"There are three things in life that are important:
- The first is kindness.
- The second is kindness.
- And the third is kindness.
04.09
Lauretta,
From what I've seen, you demonstrate kindness in all your interactions with others. (Not that you can't be a "tough" executive.)
Thanks for all the thoughtfulness you've given me.
Your friend,
Bill