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Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

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A person petting a dog wearing an orange bow tie.

A person petting a dog wearing an orange bow tie.

Want to Be a Great Leader? Stop Being Nice and Start Being Kind

Kelly Shi, 2015-16 Hackworth Fellow at the Ethics Center and her article, Being Nice vs. Being Kind quoted in Inc..

"If the underlying motivation is to create a favorable impression for the purpose of asking for a favor later, then the action can be considered nice due to its pleasing effect, but not kind without a sense of benevolence. Conversely, if the motivation is to spare the other person from extra effort or inconvenience, then the action can be considered kind, as well as nice if it pleases the other person," she writes. 

Kelly Shi, 2015-16 Hackworth Fellow at the Ethics Center and her article, Being Nice vs. Being Kind quoted in Inc..

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